Women`s soccer welcomes Ruth Keegan

sports
w e d n e S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 0 8 | P A G E B 3
SPORTS
scores
women’s soccer
Women’s soccer welcomes Ruth Keegan
(0-0, 0-2)
COach profile | Ruth Keegan, former Methodist
September 5 Final:
Postponed
September 6 Final:
Postponed
By jesse hutcheson
soccer player, brings her D3 coaching abilities
to the CNU women’s soccer team.
J esse.h u tch eson.0 5 @ cn u.edu
Rankings
1. Meredith
2. Averett
3. Shenandoah
4. Greensboro
5. Methodist
6. N.C. Wesleyan
7. CNU
8. Ferrum
9. Mary Baldwin
10.Peace
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0-0
0-0
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0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
3-1
1-1
2-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
0-3
Upcoming games:
9/10: CNU at Mary Washington
9/13: CNU at Lynchburg
men’s soccer
(0-0, 1-1)
September 6 Final:
CNU 3, Westminster 1
September 7 Final:
CNU 4, Walsh 1
Rankings
1. Ferrum
2. CNU
3. N.C. Wesleyan
4. Greensboro
5. Methodist
6. Averett
7. Shenandoah
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0 0-0
0-0 0-0
1-0
3-1
3-1
2-1-1
1-1
0-1
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Upcoming games:
9/13: CNU vs. College of New Jersey
(6 p.m.)
9/14: CNU vs. New Jersey City
(6 p.m.)
field hockey
(0-0, 1-1)
Upcoming games:
9/10: CNU at Salisbury
9/13: CNU vs. Gettysburg-Clinic (3:30
p.m.)
9/14: CNU vs. Catawba (1 p.m.)
Fall is here, which means
t he Ch r i stopher New p or t
women’s soccer te a m h as
kicked off their season. Like
every season, there is always
the coach yelling and whistle
blowing as the girls practice
on the field located behind
James River Hall.
Only this year, the voice of
that coach has changed. Ruth
Keegan took charge this fall
when Kwame Lloyd stepped
dow n as head coach a f ter
seven years with the team.
Keegan comes to CNU after
a long coaching career here
in the states. A native of Ireland, she came to the U.S. to
play soccer at Methodist in
1995. She then made the move
to Old Dominion to work as
the assistant coach from 1996
until the summer of 2 0 0 6,
before leaving to raise her
daughter.
Ke ega n brou g ht her D1
coaching style to CNU this
fall and the team takes on her
alma mater on Oct. 25.
“It will be a tough one,” she
said. CNU and Methodist are
two of the top teams, plus she
is going up against her alma
mater, who she doesn’t like to
see lose.
The squad has spent the last
several weeks training for
this game and the other challenges coming. This includes
getting accustomed to a new
coaching style.
According to Junior Emily
C he sbr o, Ke e g a n ex p e c t s
more from her players.
“A lot of people weren’t
ready. It was hard to adjust,”
she said. Chesbro though,
believes that this is what
makes her a good coach.
The team got off to a rough
start, losing their first two
games. Chesbro explained
that it may be due to the many
freshmen that are starting
this season, but once the team
connects they will make a
strong bid for the tou r nament.
The team has 22 returnees
and nine freshmen. This new
transition is difficult but that
change is good and the majority will take over the minority, said Keegan.
Her coaching style is first,
to see what you have. Then, go
with your team’s strengths –
this year being very defensive
minded. “If the other team
doesn’t score, they will not
win,” she said.
Amanda Peters was upset
when she first heard that her
senior year would be coached
by a different name. But, upon
sitting in on the committee
that chose the new coach, she
started to get excited.
She now “r e a l ly enjoys
it” and feels the “intensity
increased and the expectations, too.” It’s a “better environment,” she said.
Keega n k nows what her
athletes are going through.
Her coach left going into her
senior year at Methodist and
she said it was difficult. But
she said, “as a senior you only
have 20 games left and you
want them to jump on board.”
Freshman Kendall Dishaw
enjoys the new coaching staff.
According to her, the intensity
Keegan brings to the program
is wonderful.
“Everyone knows we are
there to do work, or we’re
going to pay,” said Dishaw.
The team knows there are
consequences for slacking off.
One of Keegan’s first orders
as head coach was getting
CNU a lu m n i a nd r e t i r e d
jersey athlete Hillary Carney
to assist her. She said that
Carney brings a lot of pride
to the program and gives the
Photos by Jesse hutcheson/the captain’s log
(Top) Ruth Keegan becomes the new women’s soccer head coach. She takes over for Kwame
Lloyd who left to coach at the University of Vermont. (Above) Keegan speaks with the team
during last Thursday’s practice. She is known to have brought a new coaching style to the field.
girls someone to look up to.
Keegan really enjoys coaching on the D3 level. She feels
that Division 1 athletics are
more “business” rather then
the “passion of the sport.” On
a D3 level, she explained, both
the athletes and the coaches
can make a difference. Both
are there for the same reason
– “not the all mighty dollar,
but rather the passion for the
sport.”
As for her new location,
Keegan said the administration made for a smooth ride.
She has nothing but praise for
the CNU campus, which she
said is “awesome with facilities that you don’t see at half
the D1 schools.” n
volleyball
(0-0, 2-2)
September 5 Final:
Postponed
September 6 Finals:
Postponed
Rankings
1. Peace
2. CNU
3. Greensboro
4. Methodist
5. N.C. Wesleyan
6. Shenandoah
7. Meredith
8. Averett
9. Ferrum
10.Mary Baldwin
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0-0
0-0
0-0 0-0
0-0 0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
3-2
2-2
4-4
4-4
3-3
3-3
1-5
1-7
0-4
0-9
Upcoming games:
CNU INVITATIONAL
9/12: CNU vs. Southern Virginia (12
p.m.)
CNU vs. Emory (8 p.m.)
9/13: CNU vs. West Virginia
Wesleyan (12 p.m)
CNU vs. Franklin & Marshall (6
p.m)
Photos by Jesse hutcheson/the captain’s log
(Above) Keegan meets with the team at Thursday’s practice behind James River Hall (Top and Bottom
Right) Coach Keegan watches an inner squad scrimmage also during last Thursday’s practice. Being
at a Division 3 school is a different, but positive experience for Keegan. She has observed that the
athletes and the coaches are more passionate about the sport, whereas D1 athletics pay a large attention to not only the sport but the business aspect that brings in the money.
cross country
The Rays shock all with the best record in the MLB
Upcoming events:
9/20: Dickinson Invitational
mlb on deck | After dropping the “Devil” from
their name, the Rays are coming into their own
and may even be looking at some playoff time.
By chris inzirillo
ch r i s t oph e r .i n z i r i l l o.0 5 @ cn u.
edu
Pena, Bartlett, Longoria,
and Navarro headlining the
of fen se, Son n a n sti ne a nd
Shields leading the rotation,
Howell, W heeler, Bradford
a nd Ba l fou r wa r mi ng t he
bullpen.
I f you h ad he a r d t ho s e
names in March, you might
be wondering, “Who are those
people, and what team are
they on?”
In fact, if you haven’t been
following baseball closely, you
still might be pondering those
questions.
Well, those are the names
of the key players of the first
place Tampa Bay Rays, who
entered Sunday with the best
record in Major League Baseball.
Who would’ve thought that
a simple name change from
‘Devil Rays’ to ‘Rays,’ as well
as a color change, from black
and green to powder blue and
yellow, would result in a complete turn-around?
As play began Sunday, the
Rays were 30 games over .500.
Meanwhile, on the same date
last season, the Devil Rays
were 25 games under .500 —
and would finish the season
a full 30 games under, with 66
wins and 96 losses.
A ll in all, this has been
one heck of a turn-a-round,
one that far surpasses the
dramatic run of the Detroit
Tigers in 2006.
For years, the common talk
in the AL East has focused
around the Boston Red Sox
and New York Yankees, as it
has usually been a two-horse
race.
More recently, there has
b e en t a l k of t he Tor ont o
Blue Jays possibly cracking
into the elite company atop
the division, as they have
poured a lot of time, money
and energy into signing free
agents, and trading for big
name players.
Even the Baltimore Orioles
- who couldn’t find a winning
season if it slapped them in
the face - drew minimal attention as a possible sleeper to
uproot the Boston/New York
tandem. But never in a million
years would anyone consider
the Rays as a threat. Quite
frankly, that’s exactly why
their record rules not only the
AL East, but all of baseball.
Looking at the names atop
this article, you wonder, “Who
are they?”
They aren’t big off-season
trade acquisitions or red-hot,
overpriced, free agent signings. They aren’t foreign players who dominated in their
home c ou nt r ie s a nd t hen
came to the U.S. to make their
ma rk. I nstead, t hey a re a
bunch of guys with a common
purpose and nothing to lose.
Sure, the big names that
you’ll find on Tampa’s roster
li ke Craw ford, Upton a nd
Kazmir have drawn attention
at all-star games, and fantasy
dra fts alike. Those bigger
names have produced, but
when you look at the stats and
see who’s carrying the load,
it seems as though the ‘allstars’ are nothing more than
a supporting cast for the ‘nonames.’
Just to name a few, Dioner
Navarro has been one of the
most offensively productive
catchers in baseball.
Evan Longoria is putting
up solid veteran numbers in
his very first season, earning
him many votes for Rookie-ofthe-Year.
Carlos Pena has rocketed 27
homeruns and put up 85 RBIs.
As for the pitching staff,
all five starters have 10-plus
wins, and the bullpen had the
third-best ERA in the league
at 3.56. That’s with special
thanks to Grant Balfour and
C h ad B r ad for d who h ave
posted ERA’s of 1.70 and 2.06
respectively.
The bottom line is that the
Rays deser ve some credit.
The team’s general manger,
Andrew Friedman, has done
a n e x c e l l e nt j o b pi e c i n g
together this shocking squad.
Not to mention Joe Maddon
who, in his 3rd season as the
Rays manager, is not only
drawing strong consideration
for Manager-of-the-Year, but
has Tampa Bay thinking playoffs for the first time in their
10-year history.
Even though there are still
three weeks of baseball to
play, and no lead is ever safe, I
think the Rays will definitely
be playing October baseball—
and they will be playing a
bunch of it. n
Chris Inzirillo is a weekly
columnist for The Captain’s
Log.
w e d n e S D A Y, S E P T E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 0 8
T H E C A P T A I N ’ S L O G | P AGE B 4
CNU athletes get involved in the community
Early on Labor Day,
Christopher Newport
athletes met to express
concern for drivers to
be careful on the roads
as the Newport News
children started back at
school. They stood on
the major intersections
in the area: J. Clyde Morris
Blvd. and Jeffereson Ave.,
Jefferson and Oyster
Point Rd., Jefferson and
Denbigh Blvd., Warwick
Blvd. and Denbigh, Oyster
Point, and Warwick and J.
Clyde and Warwick.
Jesse hutcheson/the captain’s log
Soccer
Dominates
By sara isenhour
sa r a.isen hou r.0 5 @ cn u.edu
Men’s Soccer
Marietta College Classic
9/6: CNU 3, Westminster 1
9/7: CNU 4, Walsh 1
Highlight: In Sunday’s game,
Freshman Winston Mattheisen
scored the first two goals against
Walsh and was name Tournament
MVP.
Next up: Now 3-1 on the season,
the Captains host the College of
New Jersey as the start of the Joe
Pombriant/CNU Classic at 6 p.m.
All other sports events that were
scheduled for last weekend, including the season opening football
game against Wesley (Del.), were
postponed because of Tropical
Storm Hanna. Check for updates
on cnusports.com for rescheduling. n
NFL season opens with a bang, quite literally
the 13th man | The NY Giants and Washington
Redskins open the NFL season, followed by
other teams already racking up injuries.
By billy fellin
w i l l i am.f el l i n.0 6 @ cn u.edu
Greetings, NFL fans, and
welcome to the opening day
edition of The 13th Man. It
has been a long hiatus since
Super Bowl XLII – not that I
haven’t been soaking every
minute of the Giants’ victory
up—but it is great to have the
NFL season back.
Spea ki ng of t he Gia nts,
as Super Bowl Champs they
had the privilege of playing
the Thursday night opener
to kick off the season. In a
classic NFC East battle, the
Giants squared off against the
Redskins in the swamps of
New Jersey.
It was a hard-fought, low
scoring game with the Giants
coming out on top in the end
by a score of 16-7. Eli Manning
decided scrambling was fun
after his escape act during the
Super Bowl, scoring the only
Giants touchdown of the game
on a designed QB scramble.
Despite Plaxico Burress’
10 catches for 133 yards, the
r em a i nder of t he Gi a nt s’
points came on three John
Carney field goals. The Redskins’ lone score came on a
Jason Campbell-to-Santana
Moss touchdown throw.
Expectations were riding
high for the first full day of
competition on Sunday. Brett
Favre, the Jets and the media
circus he has created since
un-retiring was in Miami on
Sunday to face the Dolphins,
with former Jets’ QB Chad
Pennington at the helm.
Penning ton and the Dolphins made it interesting,
late, but Favre relished in his
new green uniform, launching two touchdown passes in
the game for a 20-14 victory.
The costliest victory goes to
the New England Patriots for
a game where star QB, Tom
Brady, went down early in the
first quarter after having a
Kansas City Chiefs defender
land awkwardly on his left
knee.
In the same game, Chiefs’
star ter Brodie Croyle was
knocked out with a shoulder
contusion. The game ended
in a 17-10 Patriots’ victory,
but New England fans – and
fantasy football owners – continue to wait for further word
on Tom Brady’s condition.
Matt Cassel may have to step
in for a while longer.
T e n ne s s e e T it a n Vi nc e
Young also sustained a left leg
injury during the late stages
of the Titans’ 17-10 victory
over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It was also the beginning
of a few careers on Sunday.
Matt Ryan, the standout from
Boston College, took his first
NFL snap as the starting QB
for the Atlanta Falcons.
His first pass was a good
one – a 62-yard touchdown
strike to Michael Jenkins.
Michael T u r ner, famous
u nder st udy t o L ad a i n i a n
Tomlinson in San Diego, put
his own mark on the NF L
when he rushed for 220 yards
a nd t wo touchdow n s on
Sunday.
Vick who? The Falcons have
put last year behind them
and look to make a stand in
a recently lack-luster NFC
South.
Coach Jim Harbaugh and
Joe Flacco also made their
debuts on Sunday. Flacco ran
for a 38-yard touchdown and
didn’t make any mistakes in
the Ravens’ 17-10 victory over
the Bengals.
Carson Palmer had a rough
day, only passing for 99 yards
and one interception, while
Chad Ocho Cinco – yes, that’s
really his name now – had
only one catch during the
game.
Sunday was a surprising
and intense day of football.
It looks to be a very good
year if this same tempo is
kept.n
Billy Fellin is a weekly columnist for The Captains Log.
David L. Pokress/Newsday/MCT
NY Giants QB diving for a TD against the Washington Redskins at the NFL season kick off on Thursday, Sept. 4. The
Giants walked away with a 16-7 victory.
fantasy football
This year I will again be offering advice for your fantasy football team.
Start ‘Em—Plaxico Burress, WR, NYG—After his 10-catch, 133-yard
performance against the Redskins, look for Plax to be sitting in a lawn
chair sipping on lemonade in the secondary of the Rams. Yes, it seriously
should be that easy. He will be catching passes from Eli all day long.
Sit ‘Em—Jamal Lewis, RB, CLE—He only had 62 yards rushing against
the Dallas defense and he wasn’t at 100 percent. Things don’t get easier
for Lewis and the Browns when they face another stingy defense in the
Pittsburgh Steelers.