The fall season has approached the halfway point, and that could only mean one thing: midseason report cards. Something about the fall season seems to scream in a melodic and rhythmic motion, as if each team moves to its own vibe during competition. With that said, let’s look at what happens when the fall sports programs meets hip hop. I was gentle this time around, but next time I will not be so lenient:
Field Hockey Song: “Hot,” KRS-One Most Telling Lyric: “I’m HOT, been hot, repeatedly heated/Don’t call the teacher, hah, you best be seated” Synopsis: This squad has been schooling the opposition in the subjects of defeat and humiliation all season, taking seven of their last eight games as proof. Home contests are essentially academic for this team, as they have not lost at Sweeney Field since October 17, 2001. Head coach Cheryl Murtagh leads a talented group that features youth (Jay Quinn) and experience (Fior Arrindell, Maureen Connelly), while utilizing both speed (Liane Dixon) and power (Sarah Broderick). Sophomore Mari Creatini is fourth in the America East in scoring (24 points), and with the exception of two heartbreaking losses to No. 2 Michigan and No. 13 Duke on the road and a startling upset at Maine Sunday, the No. 8 Huskies have been a step above the rest all year. Grade: A
Football Song: “Lose Yourself,” Eminem Most Telling Lyric: “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment/You own it, you better never let it go” Synopsis: Highlighted by its 31-0 pounding of Division I Ohio and the first win over UMass in 19 years, No. 14 Northeastern has more wins in its first seven games (six) than they did all of last season (five). It is not a rarity to find the opposition’s offense lost in head coach Don Brown’s aggressive, speed-oriented defensive schemes, as stalwarts Liam Ezekiel, Steve Anzalone and Art Smith anchor one of the nation’s top units. Sophomore quarterback Shawn Brady, who owns a 10-3 career record as a starter, has thrown the ball extremely well the past two weeks. The running game has received outstanding production from its Four Horsemen (Anthony Riley, Tim Gale, William Griffin, and Peter Harris), and with the exception of Delaware, the team has risen to the challenge every Saturday. Had it not been for Brady’s outstanding touchdown pass against Harvard on Saturday (which was the greatest play I’ve seen since I have been here at Northeastern), this team would have received an A-minus. Grade: A
Men’s Soccer Song: “Shut’em Down,” Onyx featuring DMX Most Telling Lyric: “Shut ’em down start the violence we whylin’ whylin'” Synopsis: After beginning the season with one win in their first six contests and with a 3-6-2 mark through their first 11, something had to be bothering Ed Matz’ Huskies. The team came into their own after opening league play with a 3-2 loss at New Hampshire, ripping off four straight victories with their aggressive, on-edge style of play. Atha Kirkopoulos orchestrated two game-winning tallies in overtime during the stretch, while Nate Houghton has served as the emotional catalyst for the hottest team in the America East. After losing standout senior Allan Lewis, freshman goalkeeper Sergio Saccoccio is a candidate for the league’s Rookie of the Year Award. Sitting atop of the conference with only three games left to play, NU looks to pick up where it left off in last year’s AE championship, when they lost a 1-0 contest to Towson. Grade: B+
Women’s Cross Country Song: “Ready or Not,” The Fugees Most Telling Lyric: “I must confess my destiny’s manifest/to some gortex and sweats I make tracks like I’m homeless” Synopsis: As the season has progressed, so have the performances of the women’s cross-country team. A split in a dual meet with Boston University and Albany followed a sixth-place finish in the Central Connecticut invitational. Since then, the team has won two invitationals, finished fifth in another, and performed admirably in the New England Championships. Amy Hicks, Meaghan Shaw, and Amber Cullen have anchored the squad all season, actually getting better as the weather has worsened. Grade: B
Women’s Soccer Song: “Thicker than Blood,” Terror Squad Most Telling Lyric: “Ain’t nothin’ thicker than blood/I swear to God all my thugs die quicker than love/But life flex again, I’ll be back livin’ it up/And If drop, you don’t stop, keep lickin’ your slugs” Synopsis: This young team has been through adversity all season, and the death of sophomore Kim Cochrane in the summer may have played a part in the squad’s four-game winless streak. Double-duty coach Matz has done an admirable job keeping the team focused and together, despite their scoring difficulties and inexperience on the field. With that inexperience comes inconsistency; the team went unbeaten in five consecutive contests, lost four in a row, and then split contests with Maine and Dartmouth to put them at 5-7-3 for the year. Talented players such as Jess Pfeifer, Andi Matthews, and Jennifer North point to an encouraging second half of the season. Grade: B
Volleyball Song: “Eyes May Shine,” Xzibit Most Telling Lyric: “‘Cause if the price ain’t right then it’s time to take flight/Let the piece go twice to make sure you see the light” Synopsis: Things started off well for this group, got worse, and started to improve once again. Still, the question remains: which is the real Northeastern volleyball squad? The team that started the season undefeated with a victory at the Colgate Invitational and has won of five of their last six contests? Or the overmatched group that lost 10 of 11 contests between Sept. 13 and Sept. 27? Bet on the former; coach Ken Nichols is one of the best coaches in the nation, and Larissa Adomat, Erin Spangler, and Kristin Ursillo have been stabilizing forces on a team that lost key players Kristin Deatherage and Gianina Pellegrini from last season’s NCAA qualifier. Still, conference play will begin shortly for the Huskies; it is here that we will discover which team will really stand up. Grade: C+
Men’s Cross Country Song: “Passing me by,” Pharcyde Most Telling Lyric: “Time for me to voice my opinion of not even pretendin’ she didn’t have me/Strung like a chicken, chase my tail like a doggie” Synopsis: A team littered with freshman talent has done its fair share of running around in circles this season. Junior Jon Litchfield spearheads this green group, which had done little before the Fairfield invitational on Oct. 4. The race signaled the first sign of marked improvement for the squad, and freshmen Terry Dougherty, Patrick Stevenson, James Richard, and Thomas Pratt all had career days at the New England Championships the following week. Grade: C-
That concludes the scores for the first half of the quarter. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can see me during my office hours, or call up to schedule an appointment.
