What a difference a year makes.
It was around this time last season that we were all singing the praises of Northeastern’s hockey programs. The men’s hockey squad defeated Harvard in the first round of the Beanpot, and entered the final against Boston University on the heels of a three-game winning streak. A late season collapse culminating in a first-round defeat to UMass-Lowell destroyed the momentum they had built up in league play, as they entered the `Pot final 9-7-2 in the Hockey East.
If the men’s team was hot, than the women’s team was infernal. Sure, they lost in the first round to Harvard in their Beanpot, but who cared? That loss snapped a nine-game winning streak, and marked only the third time all year that the squad had been on the wrong side of a contest. The team had it all: scoring (see the two Brookes, White and Whitney), defense (Michelle Lorion, Pamela Pachal, Chanda Gunn) and a cohesion and chemistry that was matched by few (if any) teams in the ECAC.
Sadly, it was probably colder at Solomon Court than it was at Matthews Arena in 2002. To be blunt, the basketball situation was a mess. The men’s team had won only two of their last 11 games entering a home game against Albany. Of those defeats, six were losses of three or fewer points. The basketball team could not close the deal in head coach Ron Everhart’s first year; he seemed to be noticeably grayer in the scalp as the season concluded.
And you couldn’t help but feel sorry for the women’s basketball team. A starting rash of injuries decimated a promising season almost before it got started, as NU was limping to a 5-17 mark. They had already employed the services of a rower from the crew team (Candace Watkins) and a standout volleyball player (Erin Spangler), and had just got back their captain, Genny Caruso, from a wrist injury. It was a belaboring process handing out mid season awards last season, but giving this team an incomplete was a no-brainer.
Fast-forward to ’03.
The hockey teams are both in the gutter. The men’s team has had a player leave the squad in mid season (Bryan Nathe), seen their young goalie blow a gasket, and witnessed numerous opportunities get wiped out before anything could happen. The team is in the midst of a three-game losing streak after bowing to Harvard in the Beanpot consolation affair, and have been outscored by a 12-4 margin during the skid.
And don’t even get me started on the women. The team was gutted by the loss of several key seniors (see Brooke Whitney), gutted further by the loss of a couple more during the season (see last week’s edition of The News), and may have likely had all the remaining air taken out of the team amongst some very serious allegations (remove yourself from the cave that you’ve been living in, and go see a shrink if you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about).
Ahh, but fear not, my canine brethren; we can all seek redemption on the hardwood.
The men have been lickin’ shots all season long, displaying a mettle and fire that has been missing since before the dreaded Rudy Keeling era. Lose Jesse Dunn to a broken arm? No problem; Big Sylk (a.k.a. Sylbrin Robinson) turns into a double-double machine. Lose Sylk to a dislocated elbow? No problem; freshman sensation Jose Juan Barea turns into the hottest point guard this side of Speedy Claxton, and Javorie Wilson begins pushin’ weight in the clutch like the brolic lookin’ dudes up in Biggy’s “Juicy” video. You want toughness? Ask Aaron Davis how his shoulder feels after every game; there’s no need for me to say anymore. This squad is going to make a helluva push come tournament time … just remember where you heard it first.
I can use four words to describe the women’s team, four words that my predecessor Mike Moran NEVER thought he would have heard. I saw this team play last season; it was never a question of effort, it was always a matter of consistency. They began this year the way they ended the last, with second half collapses and lapses in concentration, specifically on the defensive end. I could say it, but I won’t … I’ll simply bring up the fact that when the Huskies entered league play with a 2-9 record, it was because they had played some damn good teams. White always placed a great emphasis on toughness; what better way to implement it than with a ridiculously difficult schedule? The stretch, she must have figured, would make or break this team. I’m not going to say it, but I will say it made them. The group has grown into a cohesive bunch capable of competing with any squad in the conference. The women have a little bit of everything: shooters (Melissa Kowalski), scorers (Maralene Zwarich), and defenders (Joi Jefferson). And don’t think I forgot about the fighters (Francesca Vanin), leaders (Lori Newsome), and scrappers (Aisha Williams, who is, without a doubt, my favorite basketball player). They have won five of their last six, all in conference play, and beat two of the three teams (BU and Vermont) above them in the standings. If you’re smart, you’ll mark your calendars for the Feb. 19 skirmish with Maine at Solomon. None of this surprises me, and it really wouldn’t surprise me if they took the conference championship. All this, but I will refrain from mentioning those four sacred words.
Nah, bump that … I TOLD YOU SO.
DOGGIE BITES:
Everyone needs to get off Vince Carter’s back. The Raptors star was stuck between a very large rock and an even harder place; the G.O.A.T. (otherwise known as Michael Jordan) got the start, as VC gave him his spot. Watch all the haters jump back onto his Nike Shox when he leads the T-men on a late-season surge … Finally, I want to give a shout-out to slippymagazine.com. I definitely recommend it to any sports purist out there who is sick of reading about the same boring thing in the same boring manner. Insight, people; this site packs it, while most of the competition lacks it.
