Alas, all great things must come to an end.
Well, maybe that is overreaching, but all News reporters must eventually hand in their notebooks and it is that time for me. But first, the highlight reel, the best sports moments in my four years.
Men’s Basketball There have certainly been great moments on the court, but my favorite moment happened on the way to the locker room. As a freshman I watched the entire 2004-05 team walk off the court and past a young boy who wanted an autograph. It was the last member of the team to come off the court who finally stopped and scribbled his name on the child’s piece of paper. He would go on to be a captain, and finished his career as the third-most accurate 3-point shooter in NU history, shooting 38 percent in his four seasons. Bobby Kelly was easily my favorite men’s hoops player.
Runner-up: Head coach Bill Coen’s first game at Matthews Arena was a 73-54 win over Boston University. It was great for the new coach to get his first home win, it was also great they got the win on my birthday.
Field Hockey In 2005, the Huskies went on a 12-game winning streak that included a 3-2 overtime win over Boston University and a strokeoff win to top Harvard. That season Whitney Shean led the team with 19 goals and 11 assists and Ashley Webber added 12 goals and three assists. The team eventually bowed to Old Dominion in the Colonial Athletic Association Finals and they haven’t been nearly as good the last two seasons. Tonight they face Towson in the CAA Quarterfinals and as a true fan of the sport I hope NU field hockey gets back to its dominating ways.
Baseball I wish I could say I was at pretty Parsons Field when Adam Ottavino no-hit James Madison in 2006, but I wasn’t; I was sitting in a class I can’t even remember the name of. However, I was in Fort Meyers, Fla., when Chris Emanuele hit a bomb off Matt Clement in the Huskies’ exhibition game against the Red Sox on March 3, 2006. As soon as the ball went over the left field wall, every reporter in the press box realized they knew nothing about him and I was suddenly the one with information. It was great watching Emanuele trot out to center field every game, but even better watching him run around the bases after hitting that lead-off home run.
Football Last weekend’s Homecoming loss to Maine was a huge disappointment, but it was one short year ago that Rocky Hager’s Kent Street boys gave everyone a Homecoming thrill. Then No. 6 New Hampshire came to Parsons Field the heavy favorite with star quarterback Ricky Santos and the NCAA’s all-time touchdown receptions leader David Ball, but it was John Sperrazza and Kendrick Ballantyne that gave the Huskies the 36-35 overtime win before a sold-out crowd. Ballantyne caught a 20-yard pass from Sperrazza in overtime and Hager called for the two-point conversion. Sperrazza hit Alex Broomfield with a three yard pass for the win. Ballantyne has been missed on the field this season, but he was also the best interview I ever had while at The News.
Runner-up: It came just a week earlier when the Huskies topped No. 18 Delaware in the home-opener after five weeks on the road. It was Hager’s 100th career collegiate win and came in dramatic fashion when freshman kicker Mat Johnson connected on a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the game to lead Northeastern to a 27-24 victory.
Volleyball I have seen every home game head coach Ken Nichols and his team have played at Solomon Court since the 2004 season. I have seen great games like the dramatic 3-2 loss to UC-Riverside in ’05 and an intense 3-2 win over Delaware earlier this month. I have seen every home game senior captain Kira Batura has played and she constantly gives 100 percent. This weekend she will take the court for her final home games and I encourage everyone to go watch the fast-paced, exciting match ups. She was the America East Rookie of the Year and set the school’s all-time dig record (1,439) last year. The volleyball team is the only fall sport this year seriously contending for the conference championship after a tough out of conference schedule to open the season. It’s next games are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Solomon Court. Be there.
Men’s Hockey There have been moments to forget in my four years, but there have also been some truly entertaining moments. Last season, when head coach Greg Cronin took the Huskies from three wins to 13 wins, it was a season full of entertaining moments: A win at No. 6 Michigan; Joe Vitale’s overtime goal to beat Merrimack that made SportsCenter’s top 10 plays; and my personal favorite moment, Mike Morris’ goal with 2.6 seconds left in regulation to give the Huskies the 3-3 tie against Boston College in front of a packed Matthews Arena crowd. But most importantly to me was that the team was always the nicest group of people. Joe Santilli and Joe Vitale were especially approachable and sincere and Cronin should be proud of such a classy group of players.
Runner-up: Jimmy Russo got absolutely slammed into the boards in last year’s Beanpot. It took him a few minutes to clear the cobwebs and everyone would have forgotten it if it hadn’t been replayed constantly on ESPN.
There they are, some of the moments I will take with me and I hope this season adds to the list. All the critics just need to wait patiently, your next victims will reveal themselves soon. Now I get to be a fan.
– Erika Carrubba can be reached at [email protected].
