BROOKLINE – It’s sexy, understanding, and always puts you in a good mood no matter how you’re feeling. Blocked again? Doesn’t matter. Fail a midterm? It’s all good. Missed a plane home for vacation? Just means more time to spend with my baby.
Victory.
You plan for it, expecting it to happen, because all the pieces seem to fall into the right place at the exact same time. In the end, unfortunately, things do not work out that way, and you’re left in the cold; lost, confused, and without a clue as to how you should have handled the situation. It is at that time that the ugly cousin rolls around; you know, the one with that pussy wart in the middle of its forehead that turns a puke-colored green when it gets chilly outside.
Defeat.
I haven’t been here very long, but this was tough. Two of the biggest events in recent Northeastern athletic history strike within the same week, and in both scenarios, I am left in the cold. I felt like I’ve been stood up twice in the same week by that bangin’ shorty in LL Cool J’s “Hey Lover” video, and now I have to wait another eight months for a shot at vindication.
All right, maybe that is a little bit overdramatic, but you have to be able to sympathize with me to some extent, and, more importantly, the university’s football and men’s soccer teams.
All season, the dogs have punished opponents on the gridiron, outscoring opponents 379-172 during the regular season. They sported one of the nation’s best defenses, one that featured a surplus of big-play athletes [Liam Ezekiel, Steve Anzalone, Art Smith] that seemed to produce turnovers and score points at will against opposing offenses. Offensively, they relied on the rejuvenated legs of running back Tim Gale to spearhead a fierce ground game that was buttressed by a conservative, yet efficient, aerial attack.
On Saturday, all the proper elements appeared to be in place for a continuation of the dream season. They were playing in the postseason at Parsons Field, where Northeastern had pulled off an eight-game home winning streak dating back to last season. They were playing a Fordham team that had won what appeared to be a weak Patriot League conference with a 6-1 mark. Their pass-oriented offensive attack seemed suited to NU’s defensive strengths. Granted, two starting linebackers [Adam Walter and Joe Gazzola] were out of the contest, but their substitutes [Robbiel Moore and Neil Anderson] had experience in starting roles.
The Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead under the leadership of junior quarterback Kevin Eakin, but I was not worried. You knew NU would strike back, and after watching Gale jaunt 43 yards to the promised land, everybody and their mama was confident that the momentum had shifted over to the soldiers sporting the black uniforms.
Strangely, that never happened. After the Huskies fell behind 7-0, you almost expected those POT (points off turnovers) to start coming in bunches, but that wasn’t the case. Charles Cameron missed a near interception on a 3rd-and-15, forcing Fordham to kick a field goal. On a key 3rd-and-5 play, Anthony Nolen missed an interception by inches. There were big hits, but the fumbles weren’t coming like in weeks past. Offensively, the unit got a good game out of Gale, but you almost expected NU to run for 240 yards. That didn’t happen, and though sophomore quarterback Shawn Brady had an admirable performance in the second half, it just wasn’t enough for the squad to get the W.
Earlier in the week, the soccer team played Big East-champion Boston College in the second round of the NCAA College Cup. Again, all of the stars were in alignment for something remarkable to happen. The game, scheduled for play at BC, was moved to Parsons due to the weather’s effect upon the Eagles’ surface. The last time they lost on their home surface was Oct. 2. For the first time since I have been here, the team was given a fan bus for the skirmish, which was a rarity in itself. The one-hour delay allowed for a bigger home crowd, and set up the table perfectly for another Husky conquest.
An evenly matched first period was followed by what can best be categorized as an offensive barrage by the hosts, uh, I mean visitors. NU spent much of the period’s first 25 minutes in BC’s area, taking shots from every angle imaginable. It finally paid off nearly 64 minutes later, when Michael Cipriano netted the Huskies’ lone goal, and representing the pinnacle of the most successful soccer season in school annals.
About 13 minutes later, that climax ended. BC’s Bill Arnault and Neil Krause each scored within four minutes of each other. Northeastern spent the rest of the contest gunning away, at one point pulling up goalie Sergio Saccoccio on a final attempt to tie. Unfortunately, Kyle Singer and the rest of the Eagle defense proved to be too much for the America East Champions.
An outstanding season for both programs, and I hope that the proper moves are made to sustain this standard of excellence for many seasons to come. The athletes and coaches for both programs have done much to revive a lifeless student body, and have brought national attention to a school that is rapidly developing a reputation for its academic endeavors.
If President Freeland had known this was going to happen, I wonder if he would have spurred that million-dollar advertising campaign. He could have saved a lot more money by hollerin’ at the shorty instead.
