Second half turnovers key UMass Dartmouth victory

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s football team took advantage of two second-quarter turnovers to build a 28-14 halftime lead and go on to defeat host MIT, 49-14, in a New England Football Conference Boyd Division game at Steinbrenner Stadium Saturday afternoon.

With the Corsairs leading, 14-7, sophomore free safety Chris Ciesluk intercepted Engineer quarterback Brian Doyle’s pass at the UMass Dartmouth one-yard line on the first play of the second quarter. He returned it to the Corsair 45 yard line, and seven plays later, senior running back Bob Sullivan scored from two yards out to make it 28-14.

MIT began their next drive at their own 40-yard line, but Doyle fumbled and junior defensive lineman Chris Girdis recovered on the fourth play of the drive at the Corsair 47. UMass Dartmouth promptly drove 53 yards in nine plays, with junior quarterback Alex Garro connecting with junior running back Aaron Russo from three yards out to make it 28-7 with 5:22 remaining in the first half.

Garro ran 53 yards for a touchdown on the Corsairs’ first play from scrimmage in the third quarter to make it 35-14. Russo scored his second touchdown of the game on a 29-yard run with 10:21 remaining in the third quarter to make it 42-14. Freshman running back Alex Amaral scored on a 28-yard run early in the fourth quarter after sophomore linebacker Adam Smith partially blocked a punt and watched it sail out of bounds at the MIT 28.

The Corsairs drew first blood. After winning the coin toss and deferring their option to the second half, they held the Engineers to three yards on their first series and took over at their own 38-yard line after a 17-yard punt return by junior wide receiver John Henry. Garro hit Sullivan for 19 yards and a first down on third and nine at the MIT 49, then junior running back J.T. Harold broke loose for 30 yards and a score to make it 7-0.

MIT converted a fourth down and two situation on their next possession, driving 52 yards in 11 plays to score on a one-yard run by Ben Grannan to tie the score at 7-7. The Corsairs came back to take the lead on their next drive. Garro hit Henry for 24 yards to the MIT 22 on second and eight from the 46. Three plays later, Harold scored from seven yards out to make it 14-7.

“The turnovers were huge,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Mark Robichaud. “We did a much better job defensively in the second half. (Assistant) Coach (Steve) Faniel made an adjustment, and we came out in the second half and stepped it up.”

Eight different runners carried the ball for UMass Dartmouth as the Corsairs rolled up 372 yards on the ground and held MIT to 235 yards total. UMass Dartmouth held the Engineers to only three first downs and 57 yards after intermission.

“We got a chance to play a lot of people, and they all played well,” said Robichaud. “We were able to hurt them running inside, J.T. and Bobby ran very well, and we stayed intense on defense. A lot of our young players got some good experience, and we had no turnovers.”

Harold carried 16 times for 137 yards to lead all rushers, Sullivan rushed 14 times for 66 yards, and Russo carried three times for 41 yards. Garro ran four times for 51 yards and also completed seven of 14 passes for 68 yards.

Grannan led MIT with 85 yards on 16 carries, while DeRon Brown ran 15 times for 66 yards.

UMass Dartmouth improved to 2-3 and 1-1 in the NEFC Boyd Division with the victory, while MIT fell to 0-4 and 0-2 with the defeat. The Corsairs will return to action when they host Western New England next Saturday afternoon, while the Engineers will host Curry next Saturday.

NHL preview

By Jason Sarro

NHL Preview

The NHL began its regular season with a familiar trend that is growing throughout sports. As the NFL, MLB, and most recently the UFC, viewers are watching games or event that are held overseas.

This past Saturday the NHL season kicked off with an exciting, hard hitting spectacle in London, England, where the Kings easily disposed of the Western Conference powerhouse Anaheim, 4-1. Based on what we saw Saturday, this 2007-2008 NHL season looks to be an exciting year for all to watch. Here is a look at the teams and players to keep an eye on.

Eastern Conference

ATLANTIC — The Pittsburgh Penguins have a roster filled with young superstars, role players, and grizzled veterans. Not to mention a 40 game winner defending the twine (Marc-Andre Fleury). Their defense is filled with offensive minded players who can carry the puck, but may need to be a bit more passive to take the load off Fleury. Sydney Crosby will lead the league in points again because the new NHL fits his style too well.

NORTHEAST — Sorry B’s fans, the Bruins just don’t have what it takes this year to win the Northeast, or even make the playoffs for that matter. Since Buffalo lost their two duel captains, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, look for the Senators to reign supreme in the Northeast division. Their top line of Danny Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Danny Alfredsson will accumulate the most combined points by a single line.

SOUTHEAST — Watch out this year for the Washington Capitals. I know they finished fifth last year, but the acquisitions of C Michael Nylander and D Tom Poti may get them over of hump. Rookie C Nicklas Backtrom will complement LW Alexander Semin on the second line. As long as G Olaf Kolzig has a 2.50 GAA and .900 SV % then we should see the Capitals in the playoffs. LW Alexander Ovechkin will challenge Crosby for the most points.

Western Conference

CENTRAL — The Red Wings and Predators will battle for first place from day one. The Red Wings will win the Central with superb goaltending of the Dominic “The Dominator” Hasek and an electrifying offense keyed by line-mates Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

NORTHWEST — Roberto Luongo finally proved that he is the best goalie in the league last year. After too many years in Florida, Luongo found a new home in Vancouver. The fate of the Canucks relies solely on the play of Luongo.

PACIFIC — The San Jose Sharks have been a formidable force in the west and in the tough Pacific Division for the last five years. “Jumbo” Joe Thornton and C Patrick Marleau will lead the Sharks to the Pacific crown. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov has the job to himself after Vesa Toskala left for Toronto in the off-season.

Players to Watch (Rookies)

Capitals rookie center, 19-year-old Nicklas Backstrom will be an immediate impact for the Capitals as a goal scorer and playmaker. The Swedish phenom was considered the best player not to be in the NHL after Evgeni Malkin left to play here. Blackhawks first-round pick Jonathan Toews is another front-runner for the Calder Trophy. The 19-year-old who played at North Dakota is a polished star who has his share of experience, playing in a College Hockey Frozen four and a World Junior Championship for team Canada. T.J Hensick, the 21-year-old Michigan Wolverines alum will help the Avalanche become younger.

Five Cold Hard Facts

1) Sidney Crosby will have the most points.

2) Danny Heatley will lead the league in goals,

3) Joe Thornton will once again lead the league in assists.

4) Surprise of the year — At 35, Martin Brodeur will lead the league in wins, GAA, SV%, and Shutouts.

5) The Ottawa Senators are long overdue to win a Stanley Cup and this season they have the talent to do so!

The best and worst of the 2007 MLB season

By Adam K. Ellis

The Good

The Red Sox — Fueled by a solid rotation and a revamped bullpen, the Sox managed to begin the first two months of the season 36-16, jumping out to a 10.5 game lead in the division.

The hot streak included an opening series sweep of the Yankees, including a game in which the Sox rallied back from five runs down, to beat Mariano Rivera and the Yanks. The red-hot start also featured an ESPN Sunday night baseball game in which the Sox hit four consecutive home runs in an inning off Yanks rookie Chase Wright in a historic victory.

For the Yankees sake, they never got down on themselves and did everything in their power to claw back into the division race. Led by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez (.314 BA, 54 HRs, 156 RBIs) and potential Cy Young candidate Chien-Ming Wang (19-7; 3.70 ERA), the Yanks played the best second-half baseball in the league. With a week left to play, they had managed to cut down the Sox early lead to just a single game. Thankfully for the Fenway faithful, the Sox were handed a healthy dose of the league’s bottom feeders to finish the season, winning six of their last nine games, clinching their first division title since 1995.

The Bad

Human Growth Hormone — Will the MLB ever see the end of performance-enhancing drug-use? As the league attempts to repair their controversially torn image, this season did little to remove the doubt that fills the minds of every spectator around the country.

Even the feel good story of the season, Rick Ankiel, turned into a public relations’ nightmare. Ankiel, former Cardinals’ pitcher whose career was presumed to be over after a mental meltdown in which he threw four wild pitches in one playoff inning, resurrected his career hitting eight home runs and driving in 29 runs in his first 26 games back.

A day after hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs, a story broke claiming Ankiel had received shipments of human growth hormone, as early as the 2004 season. Whether he stopped his usage after the story broke or just felt the disappointment and pressure released from the fans and the media, Ankiel’s season took a turn for the worse as he batted .219, striking out once every 4.5 at bats.

A week after the story broke, the MLB claimed an HGH blood test which was used on a limited basis in the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2006 Winter Games, will be made available for mass use within months. But the revelation that we were once again fooled into believing the mirage that is performance-enhancing drugs, reminded us all of the steroid usage that pervaded the game for the past 20 years. It also reinforced fan belief that the drug users are and always will be, one step ahead of the league.

The unfortunate reality of this business is that on-field performance fills players’ pockets with money and ethical decisions do not.

The Ugly

A New Home Run King — One quick question: asterisk or space blast?

Removing Chamberlain’s assertion that he slept with over 20,000 women, has there ever been a more controversial record in sports’ history?

Is Barry Bonds one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player ever to play the game? Without a doubt. Will he ever get the respect that accompanies such a title? From a minority, at best.

Barry Bonds has become the 21st Century version of Ty Cobb: controversial surroundings, a collection of more enemies than friends, reviled by all opposing teams’ fans, detested by players within his own locker room, accusations and evidential quotes/acts of racism.

Nonetheless, he has replaced the honorable Hank Aaron as the new home run king. And whether we like or not, we must live with it for time being, until Alex Rodriguez passes him in about 2014. But at what expense did Bonds’ pursuit of this momentous record come at?

For the amount of attention Barry Bonds demands now, when his playing days are done, he will be but an afterthought. No one will shed a tear or lose an ounce of sleep if Barry doesn’t get elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. No ex-teammate will go out of their way in an effort for a public plea to induct him.

As the famous proverb asserts, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his soul?”

MMA

Live experience: Whites of Westport ‘untamed’

By Timm Freitas

Last Friday, September 28, Full Force brought their Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) production to Westport for the first time. This event, Untamed 16, which was held at the Whites of Westport also marked the first time Full Force put on their production in a cage rather than a ring. Untamed 16 offered a total of nine bouts, the last bout being the Lightweight Title Fight.

ABOUT THE NIGHT: Although the fights were supposed to start at 8 p.m., the admission line was still out the door, so the start time was delayed until approximately 8:30 p.m. While waiting, the DJ serenaded fight fans with Limp Bizkit remixes and some general Rock.

When the fights started, the crowd was first shown three amateur fights. These fighters were required to wear shin guards, and gloves that appeared to have padding that was thicker than the standard four- to six-ounce MMA glove. Even though these fighters had all of this extra protection, it didn’t stop them from bringing the fight.

Two of the fights went the distance, three two-minute rounds, and the last one ended in a first round submission via rear-naked choke. I have to admit, when I heard there was amateur fights on the card I was skeptical, but the fights were good, and set the tempo for the rest of the night.

Following a brief intermission the shin guards were off and the pro bouts — two 4-minute rounds — started. The skill difference between the amateurs and professionals was obvious from the get-go. The pros were much more disciplined and calmer during their fights.

The five pro fights before the title fight treated the crowd to two submissions, two decisions, and one TKO (referee stoppage due to strikes). The Super-Fight, also known as the Lightweight Title fight, lived up to its title. This fight matched challenger Matt Perry vs. champion Will Kerr. At the beginning of Round 1 both fighters came out throwing bombs and twice it seemed that champion Will Kerr was rocked, but he kept his composure and both fighters made it through Round 1.

Round 2 didn’t start with the fireworks of Round 1, but the fighters still came out swinging. Kerr used his jab and right straight to pick apart Perry, while it seemed Perry was trying to end the fight with one punch.

At one point in the round Perry tried to coax Kerr into a ground war, but the champ wanted none of that. When the fight was put back on the feet, Kerr continued to land crisper, cleaner punches.

Round 3 began with failed attempts by Perry to bring Kerr to the mat. As the fighters began to exchange again on their feet, Kerr landed some big shots, one which sent Perry to the canvas. Kerr seized the moment and pounded out his opponent for the victory: TKO (Referee stoppage due to strikes).

As far as the production as a whole goes, at times it was a little jumpy, but I expected this would happen having been to a local MMA production before. The ring announcer also used cliché terms and corny sayings, but it was all to get the crowd motivated for the fights.

So, in all, a night at the fights of Untamed 16 left me, as a fight fan, 100 percent satisfied. And if you are a fight fan who just can’t get enough, I highly recommend you check out local promotions, because if the event is anything like the ones I have attended, it’s sure to be a real knockout.

Perry, DiCecca fuel Corsairs to first win

Danielle Nelson smacks the ball up field.

UMD’s Rebecca Stephens passes the ball in Wednesday’s 2-0 game over Fitchburg State.

By Trevor Medeiros

Last Wednesday was a good day for the UMass Dartmouth field hockey team, as the ladies blanked Little East rival Fitchburg State at Cressy Field, 2-0, to pick up their first conference win of the season.

With the victory, the Lady Corsairs improved to 1-3 in the conference, and 3-5 overall. The ladies put the pedal to the metal right from the start of the contest, as they held offensive possession throughout much of the first half.

The hard work paid off early when Sophomore Michelle Perry scored UMD’s first goal, beating Fitchburg State’s goalie off a rebound in front of the net at the 15:29 mark in the first half. “We’ve been concentrating a lot more on attack, and it definitely showed today,” said UMD head coach Nicole Castonguay. The girls reached a season high with a total of 14 shots on net.

The Lady Corsairs put the icing on the cake in the second half, when senior Caitlin DiCecca beat the goalie on a nice maneuver following a corner shot to score the game’s second goal at the 52:03 mark. “We’ve been practicing corners a lot lately and I think we’re finally starting to capitalize on them,” said DiCecca. “I was in the right place at the right time.”

While the offense was good, the defense was up to the task as well in preserving the shutout. Senior goalie Liz Fitzgerald made seven saves in net and fellow goalie Hannah Smith played the last five minutes of the match and kept Fitchburg State off the score sheet.

“We needed this to boost our self esteem,” said DiCecca. “We’re definitely one of the best teams out there, if not the best. We just need to start winning.”

The Lady Corsairs know they’re better than their record indicates, and they’re hoping this win will help them move in the right direction as the season moves on. “Our record does not say anything about the talent this team has,” said Castonguay. “We know what we have. Fortunately, it’s coming together right when we need it to.”

UMD’s Caitlin DiCecca plays tight defense against FSC’s Ingrid Hendrickson.

Men’s soccer falls to UMass Boston

Tied game sours near the end for Dartmouth

Jacob Levesque running by UMass Boston’s Emile Pierre-Louis in the 1-0 loss on Saturday.

DARTMOUH, Mass. — Stew Tracy picked up a loose ball in the box and scored with 10 minutes remaining to give UMass Boston a 1-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s men’s soccer team in a Little East Conference match at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon.

Tracy’s goal broke a 0-0 tie. The Corsairs pressed the attack in the waning moments, but were unable to score.

“We had a lot of opportunities, but we didn’t put them away,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Ray Cabral. “We played our hearts out, and left everything on the field.”

The Corsairs out shot UMass Boston, 12-7. Senior goalkeeper Kyle Fossey (Townsend, MA/North Middlesex HS) made four saves for UMass Dartmouth, while Paul Maniscalco made eight for the Beacons.

UMass Dartmouth dropped to 7-2-1 and 1-1-1 in the Little East Conference with the defeat, while UMass Boston improved to 8-3 and 1-2 with the victory. The Corsairs will return to action when they host Mass Maritime Tuesday afternoon, while the Beacons will visit Becker Wednesday.

Celts’ bold offseason raises expectations

By Jeremy Correia

Do you remember the last time you looked forward to the Celtics beginning their season? “Celtics...we talking ‘bout...the Celtics? Not the Red Sox...not the Patriots...definitely not the Bruins. We talking ‘bout...Celtics.” Thank you A.I., and yes we are talking about the Celtics, who are a force to reckon with in the NBA for 2007.

We’ve been moaning for a few years now, “Why cant they get Pierce another playa’? — When will this team be relevant? — They’re too young!” Well rest assured — Celtic Nation, Danny Ainge did his good deed in life by bringing in arguably the most dominant player in the past ten years in KG (simmer down Shaq fans), and one of the NBA’s most deadliest snipers: Jesus Shuttlesworth. You can just call him Ray-Ray. With the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen the C’s are poised to carve up a weak Atlantic division and Eastern Conference at that. Who could really argue?

It is a general rule of thumb that when you want to win in the NBA you need two or more superstars (i.e: Kobe and Shaq, Jordan and Pippen, Bird and McHale). I would say the Green meet the quota.

Kevin Garnett is the glue; he is fierce and competitive. He’ll keep the younger players in-check with his veteran leadership and even teach the older guys a thing or two.

If you know the NBA, then you know that there isn’t a greater competitor in the game. Night in and night out, KG will give you 110 percent and that’s far from cliché, this guy will give it to you.

On the floor, he is the rebounder they need on both sides of the court, leading the NBA in rebounding each of the last three years. He’ll block you shots and be The Man on D, averaging 1.7 blocks per game for his career. When is the last time the Celtics had a presence on the defensive end? Not since the days of the Chief, Robert Parish.

As far as his offense is concerned, it speaks for itself. Garnett averages 20 a game while shooting near 50 percent from the field. He’ll muscle you up down low if he has to, beat you with his step when he can, bury the 15 footer when you leave him open, and he is an excellent passer to boot. Yeah, he’s that good.

Oh and NBA defenses, while you’re doubling up Garnett in the post, don’t forget to guard the kick-out to Ray Allen on the perimeter. Allen is one of the games premier scorers and should serve as the Celtics top scorer on offense. His ability to change the game from beyond the arc makes him a defensive nightmare, especially when you couple that with legitimate scorers around him.

Yes, he is coming off ankle surgery and that is a concern, but with a healthy, above average defender in Tony Allen supplanting him on the bench, Doc Rivers should be able to conserve Ray. His ability to shoot 40 percent from three-point land will prove dynamic in bolstering an already 9th ranked NBA scoring offense.

Rounding out the new Big Three, last but not least: your captain, Paul Pierce. Pierce is a true Celtic through and through, one whose veins bleed green. Why else would he put up with the revolving door of coaches and the crew of NBA misfits (one name-Vin Baker)? Why else would he sign an extension in the middle of a massive rebuilding effort?

Pierce, despite being a West Coast guy (born in Oakland, California), loves Boston. This is the year when Paul Pierce is recognized as a top player in the league. He is an MVP, we know it in Boston, but much of the country doesn’t.

Danny Ainge has undoubtedly assembled a team capable of making a very big run. No NBA team can survive alone on three players, and the Celtics made sure that the Big Three would have some assistance. But the c’s also added complimentary pieces that were lost in the media mega blitz, including guys like James Posey and Eddie House.

Posey is an excellent defender with versatility and great ability to stretch the defense with his three-point shooting — a perfect player to have off the bench. Eddie House is a veteran point guard who can show Rajon Rondo a few things. The aforementioned Tony Allen, is a very nice defensive player who is capable of slashing to the hoop and finishing strong. He is probably the most athletic player on the team.

Accompanying this bunch are a couple rookies and returning players like Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Glen Davis, Scot Pollard and, yes, Brian Scalabrine. These guys will figure into the game plan night in and night out. The bench this year, unlike years before, is a good one. The team won’t have to worry about burning out with their solid rotation of veterans and exciting rookies.

Team chemistry and all those intangibles aside, this year’s version of the Celtics is more then formidable on paper; they have the opportunity to be great. If Doc Rivers manages these personalities and keeps the three superstars happy, while staying relatively healthy, there’s no reason we can’t talk about this team with huge expectations.

The 2007 season will be a historical one for the Boston Celtics for those who can’t remember nor relate to the 1986 team, me included. Don’t be surprised if we see number seventeen being raised to the banners this season.

Around campus

Team results for the week

Women’s tennis

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s women’s tennis team didn’t lose a set in blanking Southern Maine, 9-0, in a Little East Conference match at the Gorham High School Tennis Courts Saturday.

The Corsairs swept all three doubles matches, which were played first. Junior Allison DeAngelis came from behind in the first set and defeated Sara Willey at number two singles, 6-4, 6-2; while senior Kim Pham won a first set tie-breaker in defeating Ashley Kirkpatrick at number four singles, 7-6, 6-3. At number one singles, freshman Amy Lopes defeated Nicole Willey, 6-0, 6-2.

The Corsairs improved to 6-2 and 4-0 in the Little East Conference with their victory, while the Huskies dropped to 0-6 and 0-3 in LEC play with the defeat. UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they visit Salem State Tuesday.

Men’s soccer

Stew Tracy picked up a loose ball in the box and scored with 10 minutes remaining to give UMass Boston a 1-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s men’s soccer team in a Little East Conference match at the UMass Dartmouth Athletic Complex Saturday afternoon.

UMass Dartmouth dropped to 7-2-1 and 1-1-1 in the Little East Conference with the defeat, while UMass Boston improved to 8-3 and 1-2 with the victory.

Field hockey

Julie Brooks scored off a penalty corner with 20 seconds remaining to give visiting Salem State a 2-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s field hockey team in a Little East Conference match Saturday afternoon.

The Corsairs out shot the Vikings, 22-16. Senior goalkeeper Liz Fitzgerald made 11 saves for UMass Dartmouth, while Caitlin DiCecca scored the lone goal for the Corsairs. UMass Dartmouth dropped to 3-5 and 1-3 in the Little East Conference with the loss, while the Vikings improved to 4-3 and 3-1.