Craig G. Stouffer

Which Wicks will show in United rematch against Sounders?

The contrast was striking. There was goalkeeper Josh Wicks in the D.C. United locker room after Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Kansas City, answering questions about his third shutout in four regular-season games. A few feet away, the locker room television showed highlights of Wicks' rash stomp on Seattle forward Fredy Montero in last week's U.S. Open Cup final loss to the Sounders. Although Wicks has put together one crucial performance after another to help keep D.C. in the thick of the MLS playoff hunt, one ugly play has left an indelible impression on his season. "He's been getting a lot of grief," said United head coach Tom Soehn. "In reality, he's just been playing...

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United edges dull Wizards

D.C. United 1, Kansas City Wizards 0 It wasn’t D.C. United’s intended plan to generate just enough offense to get its home game-heavy push for the playoffs off to a good start, even though Kansas City came into Wednesday’s clash at RFK Stadium having gone scoreless in four of its last five matches. But United got all that was necessary in the first half – a goal by Luciano Emilio and five saves from goalkeeper Josh Wicks – for much-needed 1-0 victory that propelled the team, for now, back into a playoff spot if the season were to end today. “Right now we just worry about ourselves,” said United head coach Tom Soehn. “We’ve said that...

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Beckham at RFK

Did I miss this while I was on vacation? Just saw David Beckham work over RFK during his recent visit when challenged by Alan Gordon. How do our friends at D.C. United feel about that one?...

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Defensive casualties hit United entering late-season homestand

D.C. United thought it would get a break during its stretch run to the playoffs, with five consecutive home games before concluding the regular season on the road. But the long-awaited homestand will begin on Wednesday without two defensive regulars, as Marc Burch underwent left ankle surgery on Monday, joining Dejan Jakovic, who departed last weekend for a pair of sports hernia surgeries in Munich. "It just adds to the craziness, especially being a critical time right now where we were waiting for this buildup, the five games at home," said United defender Bryan Namoff. "To be down starters definitely hurts." United (7-5-12, 33 points) is currently part of a...

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DCU's defensive casualties mask offensive needs

Here's a date for you: July 18. It's the last time D.C. United scored a goal at RFK Stadium in a MLS regular season match. Okay, technically, that was only two games ago. But it's starting to feel like the spark has been missing for longer, and I'm not sure why Santino Quaranta really needs to be sorry for simply being frank about United's offensive struggles and his frustration in comments he made last week. Nevertheless, a la Landon Donovan, today Quaranta apologized for going public: "I regret doing it that way because it wasn’t, at this time, from what went on last week – with Josh [Wicks], we had some issues -- just to continue that wasn’t the smartest thing...

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United's spat with Seattle not likely to make U.S. Open Cup matter

Kevin Payne doesn't think D.C. United's aggressive marketing campaign ahead of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final will help revitalize the historic, but under-appreciated, knockout competition. For the United president, the choice is a substantial cash infusion or ceasing the tournament altogether. "I think that U.S. Soccer needs to attach a very significant cash prize to it, like a million dollars," said Payne, whose club will attempt to claim its second consecutive U.S. Open Cup title and third overall on Wednesday. "That gives people something to hang their hat on. I think the teams in [Major League Soccer] would take it a lot more seriously, and it'll start to grow in...

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Top 10 college football games next week

Don’t even think about spending Labor Day weekend working around the house because the college football season has arrived. Sure, there’s a fair share of clunkers, but they’re more than made up for by some serious appointment-viewing non-conference clashes. 10. Navy at No. 6 Ohio State » The Midshipmen wanted a harder schedule, but this is ridiculous. The Buckeyes are intent on a standing ovation at the Horseshoe for the Navy players when they take the field, but they’ll probably be a bit rude to the vaunted triple-option once the game begins. 9. Minnesota at Syracuse » You’re darn right we’re tuning in to see if former Duke point...

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Learning about the Hamid deal

What was learned here on Tuesday and in the print edition of the Examiner on Wednesday was that D.C. United was moving closer to signing academy goalkeeper Bill Hamid to a professional contract. By late Wednesday, as seen on my Twitter account, @craigstouffer, the deal was imminent. What was learned Thursday evening was that Hamid's contract with Major League Soccer -- and thereby, D.C. United -- is all set. Everything just has to be finalized. Pen to paper, my friends. What you're learning here right now is the hope is that everything gets signed on Friday. What you also need to know is that, according to a source with knowledge of the deal, Hamid is esssentially taking a senior roster...

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Late in the season, busy is a bad sign for United's playoff hopes

Whether D.C. United wants to admit it or not, the sheer volume of matches it faces over the final three months of the season is likely to affect its success in the Major League Soccer postseason -- if it can manage to secure a berth. "I want to put something to bed," said head coach Tom Soehn following D.C.'s 3-1 loss to Toluca in CONCACAF Champions League play on Wednesday. "We keep talking about games. It's no different than we've had every year. It's reality. We have games every three days. I don't want to hear it as an excuse. We won't use it as an excuse." It is also a reality that in every season during Soehn's tenure -- three as an assistant under Peter Nowak, three as head...

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United, Toluca thoughts

Is this 2008? It sure feels like 2008, after the 3-1 defeat to Toluca. (Hey, I recognize that coach! Jose Manuel de la Torre was manager of Chivas Guadalajara when it faced D.C. United four different times in 2007. Guess I had my own sense of deja vu in the RFK Stadium media room.) 1) With all due respect, when D.C. United trots out a lineup in Trinidad on Sept. 15 that has fewer "regulars" -- we'll consider that group the Galaxy game starters plus Jaime Moreno and Chris Pontius -- than the five that started against Toluca, it'll be all but official that United is punting the CONCACAF Champions League. 2) A 4-4-2 is nice defensively for D.C. United. But where's the offense...

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United's familiar, troubled feeling

CONCACAF Champions League: Toluca 3, D.C. United 1 Two games into the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, D.C. United finds itself in an unflatteringly fa: 0-2-0 and increasing desperate to figure out why it can’t seem to find any success in international tournaments. The latest defeat, Wednesday’s 3-1 decision in favor Mexican club Toluca in front of 8,834 at RFK Stadium, was oozing with déjà vu. “It’s tough,” said United midfielder Devon McTavish. “We’re in the exact same position. We lost points at home. We lost a tough battle down in Honduras again this year, and we’re not sitting well, either in CONCACAF or in...

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Pops gets Cheers, Hoopsters headed to China

My conversation with Pops Mensah-Bonsu was in Cheers & Jeers today... Meanwhile, the Wizards announced that they're headed back to China to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their previous trip to China. Among players, Caron Butler and Randy Foye are going. Speaking of which, Kevin Durant told me on Sunday that next month he's headed on a quick trip to China, too. His visit, representing the NBA, is only a few days. The Wizards are going for 10....

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A little confusion, a little DCU news

Riddle me this, how does the Virginia men's soccer team, which was ranked second in the ACC preseason coaches poll, ahead of both Maryland and Wake Forest, end up being omitted from the Soccer America preseason rankings? Surely, it's a typo, right? I've inquired with both the Cavaliers and Soccer America. We'll see. In the meantime, I'm hearing that D.C. United academy goalkeeper Bill Hamid is moving closer to a professional contract. The next steps have been taken with Major League Soccer -- which owns all its player contracts, remember -- but the timing and details with D.C. United are yet to be resolved. It's complicated, considering United's roster is at the 24-player maximum at the...

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Durant grillin' at McDonogh

The Goodman League charity game Sunday afternoon might as well have been an end-of-the-summer barbecue hosted by Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. After all, there was a grill outside McDonogh Gymnasium. Inside, a bunch of the Washington area’s best pro players – those plying their trade in NBA, and some from further afield leagues such as Israel and Germany – gathered for what was essentially they’re last grouping on the court before they head back to their respective teams starting next week. John Thompson Jr. was the one guy allowed to sit by himself behind the baseline. But the new king of District basketball is Kevin Durant. The buzz was different as...

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United, Galaxy thoughts

First off, have you noticed that my colleagues in sports are all blogging like crazy these days. An excellent development. Anyway, a couple quick thoughts about the scoreless tie between the Galaxy and D.C. United. 1) That's the first we've seen that D.C. United lineup this season -- arguably the strongest one it can put out. Jaime Moreno and Chris Pontius merit consideration, obviously, but their inclusion either way hasn't been the difference maker, as least based on my examination of every first eleven DCU has used thus far in the regular season. 2) Chad Ashton had a phone on the bench to talk with sick Tom Soehn, and he said it was used a couple times. 3) David Beckham appears to...

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Emilio denied as United settles for tie

D.C. United 0, Los Angeles Galaxy 0 D.C. United needed a victory badly Saturday night against the Los Angeles Galaxy, considering a recent string of disappointing results, including one victory in its last seven league matches, which had put a significant dent in the team’s playoff hopes. But while heart, effort and scoring chances were all there against one of MLS’ hottest teams, so too were two questionable calls that left United feeling like they had done enough for a win despite settling for scoreless draw in front of 22,134, their biggest home crowd of the regular season. Luciano Emilio was involved with both disputed plays, the first an offside ruling after he latched...

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Galaxy of difference between L.A. and D.C.

It promised to be the one D.C. United league match guaranteed to be trumped by hype, mostly over David Beckham's third visit to Washington. Instead, it might actually be about what happens on the field. A summer swoon in Major League Soccer play has D.C. United (6-5-10) on the ropes -- they'd be on the outside looking in at the playoffs if the season ended last weekend -- while Los Angeles (8-4-10) has surged to within striking distance of first place in the Western Conference. "I love that they're hot and we're not," said United midfielder Ben Olsen, "and we need to step up to the plate. It's a great chance for us to turn things around and show that we can be the team...

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Talkin' Saunders

It's glaringly obvious that Gilbert Arenas will be the single most important factor in how the Washington Wizards do this season. That said, I think Flip Saunders' arrival in Washington and his determination to make an impact has been underrated this summer. With that in mind, I tackled a bit of what Saunders has indicated will be his persona with the Wizards today in Cheers & Jeers. It's a first step. But there will be tons of layers to this....

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United abroad again with a crisis growing at home

D.C. has dropped out of playoff position Each team that advances to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League plays a total of six matches. But for D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn, survival and advancement to the next round will be measured in thirds. "It's not about one game [versus each of the other three teams]," said Soehn. "It's about two games. You're going to have to manage your roster accordingly and make sure you take the series." To begin play in Group B of the competition on Tuesday, United will meet Marath—n on its own turf in Central America, the first of two matches against the Honduran club. They also met in last year's group stage, with...

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U.S. soccer hopes to peak in Mexico

Americans have never won on Mexican soil The summer of U.S. Soccer is ready for its final act. A riveting national team plot has twisted and turned over the last two months, vacillating between moments of utter despair and new heights of achievement, expectation and hype. The climax is expected in Mexico City, where the United States could make history, proving its latest strides are for real and serving revenge on Mexico for last month's Gold Cup thrashing; or stomach a harsh dose of reality in an environment where the U.S. has never won. This is more than a World Cup qualifier, although that is the match's primary function -- the U.S. is all but assured of place in South Africa...

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Wiz preseason taking shape

Verizon Center will host Dallas on Oct. 9 The Washington Wizards will take their longest road trip of the year before the 2009-10 season even begins, with six games over 12 days to conclude its preseason schedule, which was announced Tuesday. The Wizards will face head coach Flip Saunders’ former team, the Detroit Pistons, on Oct. 13 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and then face LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Oct. 14. Washington will also tangle with the 76ers, former head coach Eddie Jordan’s new club, in Philadelphia on Oct. 20. The team will host its first-ever preseason game at Siegel Center in Richmond, the site of Wizards training camp, against Memphis on Oct....

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Playoff berth at stake for Freedom

Washington controls its postseason destiny The gist » The Freedom (7-7-5) will not only earn a Women's Pro Soccer postseason berth but clinch third place -- and with it, a first-round home playoff game -- with a victory over Sky Blue (7-7-5). Washington also is through with a tie, as it will own the tiebreaker with the New Jersey club. The Freedom also could sneak through the playoff back door with a loss, as long as Boston (7-8-4) also loses its regular-season finale against Los Angeles. The All-Stars » Freedom forward Abby Wambach was named WPS player of the month for July after piling up four goals and an assist during that stretch. Wambach was the first American...

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Opening night includes Wiz

NBA schedule released The Washington Wizards will tip off in the second game of the 2009-10 NBA season, but it will be a secondary attraction on the league's opening night. The Wizards begin their campaign at Dallas on Oct. 27, playing opposite the nationally-televised opening-night doubleheader of Boston at Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers "visiting" their roommates, the NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Wizards return to Washington on Oct. 31 to host New Jersey in their first home game of the season. Things heat up quickly, as the Wizards head to Cleveland on Nov. 3, and the Cavaliers will bring LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal back to Washington on Nov. 18, one...

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Russian rebound opens Legg Mason

Former Cavalier Devvarman advances More than six years passed between the time that Mikhail Youzhny first cracked the ATP's top 100 players in the world (January 2001) and when he earned his first top-10 ranking (August 2007). As recently as 18 months ago, he had reached as high as No. 8. His career has taken some precipitous steps backward since, and showed early signs of falling further in his opening-round match of the 2009 Legg Mason Classic. But after an admittedly sluggish start, the Russian parlayed a first-set rally into a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Robert Kendrick on the William H. G. FitzGerald Center Stadium Court. "I'm going back much faster," said Youzhny of his...

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United, Firpo ready for round two

D.C. is coming off its first loss in six weeks The gist » Thanks to a 1-1 draw with Firpo last week at RFK Stadium, D.C. United needs to win outright or score at least two goals in a tie -- or tie, 1-1, and win a penalty shootout -- against the El Salvadorans to advance to the next round, a group stage that would begin Aug. 18. Should United advance, they will be paired with Toluca (Mexico), Marathon (Honduras) and the winner of a series between San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad) and San Francisco (Panama). The momentum » United suffered its first loss in six weeks in all competitions on Saturday, a 4-3 defeat at Houston in MLS play. Luciano Emilio came off the bench to score...

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Quaranta excited to be back

Here's what Santino Quaranta had to say today about rejoining D.C. United after a month with the U.S. national team during Gold Cup. "It’s real good to be back. It was great. [U.S. head coach] Bob [Bradley] was great. The whole time, really, I took a lot out of the trip. The whole attitude part of it was just a great experience. I think that it was unfortunate what happened in the last game, but overall, the guys that were in there worked hard. You come back with more of a role in leadership and wanting to win games again, and understanding what it takes. So it’s been good on that part." How do you feel physically? "It’s tough to be away for a month,...

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D.C. refocused on domestic priorities

An MLS playoff push remains atop agenda With the start of CONCACAF Champions League play earlier this week, D.C. United is now active in three competitions, with the other two being Major League Soccer and the U.S. Open Cup. There should be no confusion about what matters the most: winning in the regular season and establishing the best possible position for a MLS Cup playoff run. "I think every game offers new challenges," said United head coach Tom Soehn after Tuesday's disappointing 1-1 draw with Firpo. "I know this -- that on Saturday, we're going to focus on Saturday, and then pick up the pieces after that." Read: the kind of reserve-heavy lineup that Soehn...

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DiCicco set to take one for the team

Boston Breakers head coach Tony DiCicco made sure to make his point about referee Jose Carlos Rivero after last night's 1-0 loss to the Washington Freedom. You can see the quote that I used here in my game report -- I felt the need to explain Alex Scott's tackle on Sonia Bompastor. DiCicco continued, though, feeling the need to explain his perspective on officiating in WPS' first season: "There was a star of the game today, and it wasn’t Abby Wambach, and it wasn’t my players sprinting around. It was the referee. He changed the whole game, and all he had to do was yellow card, fair enough. He has three options: speak firmly to the player, yellow card, and a red card is...

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Wambach, Freedom finally break Boston

Washington Freedom 1, Boston Breakers 0 The night belonged to Abby Wambach, who was honored by the Washington Freedom for scoring her 100th international goal two weeks earlier and then responded with the evening’s game-winning strike midway through the second half. But the turning point came much earlier in Wednesday’s match at Maryland SoccerPlex, when a harshly judged tackle reduced the Boston Breakers to ten players, allowing the Freedom an evening of relentless possession and few defensive challenges en route to a 1-0 victory in front of 3,123. Referee Jose Carlos Rivero handed Washington an early advantage in the fifth minute, producing an immediate red card for...

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United doesn't get ahead in Champions League

CONCACAF Champions League D.C. United 1, Firpo 1 The importance of a victory when a Major League Soccer team hosts the opening round of a home-and-home series against an international opponent from Mexico or Central America cannot be understated. Harsh, uncertain, and unforgiving settings always await on the road in the second leg, conditions that can only be tempered by the largest possible margin of error. Despite its familiarity with the consequences, D.C. United opted to take its chances in its CONCACAF Champions League series with Firpo, limping to a 1-1 draw in its first leg against the El Salvadoran club in front of 8,026 at RFK Stadium. “We’ve been through these...

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Goal! 07/29/09

Player of the week Yura Movsisyan, Real Salt Lake Before he heads out the door to Denmark, where he will transfer this coming offseason, the mercurial striker had one of his best games for Salt Lake, coming on after halftime to score twice as Real came back from a 2-0 deficit for the first time in club history and secured a 4-2 win over Dallas. An ankle injury kept Movsisyan from starting the game but couldn’t stop him from getting his fifth and sixth goals of the year. The 21-year-old is one goal short of his career best of seven, a mark he’s likely to surpass before joining Randers FC this winter. Story lines 1. It’s a bit like Kobe Bryant for LeBron James »...

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Washington Freedom's Wambach sets herself free

The way it was neatly laid out -- the opportunity to score her 100th international goal in front of a hometown crowd in Rochester, N.Y. -- Abby Wambach knew it was going to be special before it happened. What she didn't realize was what it would mean afterward. In reaching her historic milestone with the U.S. on July 19, Wambach unshouldered a burden she had carried since breaking her leg slightly more than a year ago to the exact day, an injury that stole her Olympic dreams and admittedly, hampered her for most of the Women's Pro Soccer season. "My leg hadn't been feeling good all season, and I hadn't been getting production with goals for the Freedom," said Wambach. "I...

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Wizards debate and truth

As you can see from this post, I can't help but get a little excited and feel very fortunate to be moving to the Wizards beat this season....

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Should DC United feel slighted?

Here's the 32-player list of MLS All-Stars, 18 on the active roster for tomorrow night's silly match against Everton, 14 other who simply get a nice little bonus in their paychecks. GAME-DAY ROSTER (18) GOALKEEPERS - Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC); Zach Thornton (Chivas USA). DEFENDERS - Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle Sounders FC), Bakary Soumare (Chicago Fire) MIDFIELDERS - Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle Sounders FC), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Will Johnson (Real Salt Lake), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Javier Morales...

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United out for Champions League redemption

Soehn & Co. were 0-5-1 in group play last year By the time D.C. United played its first match last fall in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League, injuries and schedule congestion already had the team precariously poised for a late-season tailspin. The signs aren't nearly as ominous as United returns to Champions League play at RFK Stadium on Tuesday with the first match of a home-and-home series against CD Firpo from El Salvador. "Last year was a bit of a nightmare," said United midfielder Devon McTavish. "We have a completely different team this year, with a completely different attitude. We can maybe try to redeem ourselves a little bit. It was, at times,...

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D.C. United rediscovers a familiar rhythm

The jovial nature of Christian Gómez’s answer was proof: the joy of a fully fit Latin attacking trio has returned to D.C. United. Asked how he fought his way around 6-foot-2, 195-pound Colorado defender Scott Palguta, a player twice his size, to create United’s third goal in last weekend’s win over the Rapids, the 5-8, 157-pound Argetinian playfully responded through an interpreter, “I’m stronger each and every day.” In all seriousness, the sequence, which started with Bolivian Jaime Moreno and finished with Brazilian Luciano Emilio gave credence to the offensive possibilities that are unleashed when the three South Americans are on the field...

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United advances to second straight U.S. Open Cup final

Continuing its progression up the rungs of American soccer, D.C. United advanced to a second straight Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Rochester in front of 2,457 at Maryland SoccerPlex. The Rhinos, members of second-tier United Soccer Leagues first division and the last non-Major League Soccer team to win the tournament (1996), fell in succession following United's defeat of Harrisburg of USL2 in the quarterfinals and a third-round win over Ocean City (N.J.) of the USL Premier Development League. D.C.'s journey, fittingly, will be completed against an MLS side, Seattle or Houston, at RFK Stadium on September 2. Tuesday's passage into the championship wasn't...

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Rhinos roll into SoccerPlex

D.C. faces Rochester in U.S. Open Cup semifinal Rhinos redux » D.C. United defeated Rochester, 2-0, in last year's third round en route to winning the tournament title. Marc Burch scored twice on free kicks to give D.C. the victory. Simms facing possible surgery » Midfielder Clyde Simms will fly to Munich, Germany, on Wednesday to consult with Dr. Ulrike Muschaweck, a sports hernia specialist who has operated on multiple D.C. United players. Simms, who was forced to leave last weekend game against Colorado early due to a lingering adductor problem, could have surgery as early as Friday. "Honestly, I just want peace of mind," said Simms. "If that is what it...

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Namoff, United earn redemption among Rapids

D.C. United 3, Rapids 1 The routine play makes defender Bryan Namoff arguably the most dependable member of the D.C. United roster. When the routine play surprisingly failed him against Colorado on Saturday night, Namoff responded with the spectacular. Guilty of an own goal in the first half, Namoff laid himself out in the second, connecting with a diving header on a corner kick as United (6-3-9) used a three-goal burst after halftime to secure a 3-1 victory over the Rapids (6-5-6) in front of 18,248, RFK Stadium’s second-biggest crowd of the season. “He had a career night,” said United head coach Tom Soehn. “He scored two goals, the first time he’s ever...

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United claims Szetela from Europe

Casey, Rapids are a force on offense D.C. United won’t get a chance to see its first acquisition of the summer transfer period until at least next week — Danny Szetela hasn’t yet received his international clearance, and he was excused from the team this weekend for personal reasons — but they expect the versatile midfielder to come in handy. Still just 22, Szetela joined United yesterday after two seasons in Europe, one at Racing Santander in Spain and the most recent on loan at Brescia in the Italian second division. The New Jersey native, who can play centrally or on the wing, was a member of the U.S. Olympic team and has appeared three times for the U.S....

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United's schedule finally heats up after summer vacation

It's been more than a month since D.C. United hosted a match at RFK Stadium, and two of the last three weekends the team has had off from soccer entirely. But the mini-summer vacation is over. United (5-3-9) will play eight times in 29 days, beginning with a league visit on Saturday by Colorado, which stung D.C. on the road, 3-0, on June 20. "We're obviously excited to get moving again, especially at home," said United midfielder Ben Olsen. "We've been doing some traveling, and I think we're ready to start getting some wins here. I think the ties are still kind of haunting us, and Colorado's still kind of haunting us a little bit. Hopefully, we can fix two situations in...

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Report: Wiz make offer to Oberto

Center from Argentina won '07 title with Spurs The Washington Wizards have made a contract offer to former San Antonio center Fabricio Oberto, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Oberto, a 6-foot-10 center from Argentina, was waived by Detroit two weeks ago after being included in a three team trade last month that sent him from the Spurs to the Pistons. Detroit owes him $1.9 million of his partially-guaranteed $3.8 million contract. The 33-year-old spent the last four seasons in San Antonio, where he was the starting center on the Spurs' 2007 NBA championship-winning team. Oberto averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds last year, and last month he underwent a heart procedure...

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Saunders, Wiz get to work

McGee, Young are on new coach's radar With the opening of Washington Wizards minicamp last weekend -- and the team's participation in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this week -- so begins the first official work for the franchise since hiring new head coach Flip Saunders. But make no mistake, his initial study of the team, in particular Washington's quartet of Vegas veterans -- Javaris Crittenton, JaVale McGee, Dominic McGuire and Nick Young -- is already complete, and Saunders is itching to move things forward. "We actually put together a mini-playbook, which probably not too many people have done before," said Saunders on Saturday. "Guys understand the...

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Young the vet in Wiz summer camp

Undrafted rookies look to earn spot on team Nick Young has been as anxious as anyone waiting for the Washington Wizards to make a move while teams throughout the NBA nab one free agent after another. "I'm kind of shocked [they haven't]," said Young, who heard his own named bandied about prior to Washington's acquisition of Mike Miller and Randy Foye last month. "But you never know what might happen. We still might have a lot of things going down because it's been a crazy summer. You just gotta keep your eyes on ESPN and hope you're name's not on there." Young's more immediate concern is proving, as he enters his third NBA season, that he deserves a chance to play...

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U.S./Honduras will be felt near and far

Local players, global issues playing a role Local intrigue was supposed to be the dominant story line for Wednesday's CONCACAF Gold Cup match between the United States and Honduras, with seven players on the U.S. roster boasting some kind of Washington-area connection. But international developments will be hard to ignore, as the Hondurans try to keep political instability at home off their minds, a task made difficult with ousted president Manuel Zelaya in Washington on Tuesday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "You have to feel for them," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "Obviously, we all see pictures and read accounts. I'm sure it's on their...

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D.C. tops Harrisburg in Open Cup

D.C. United took another step in the defense of its 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, holding off United Soccer Leagues second division-leading Harrisburg, 2-1, in front of 2,137 at Maryland SoccerPlex. Boyzzz Khumalo gave United an early lead in the tournament quarterfinal, nodding home an easy cross from Devon McTavish in the eighth minute, and Andrew Jacobson headed in Fred's corner kick ten minutes later to double the advantage. Down a man, the City Islanders pulled within one on Nicki Paterson's deflected shot in the 64th minute, and David Schofield would've tied the score in the 73rd but his shot hit the crossbar. Harrisburg captain Mo Oduor was ejected in the 50th minute...

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Adu aims for course correction

Former prodigy has spent most of the year on the Monaco bench It wasn't so long ago that all eyes were on Freddy Adu. But a half-decade after making his professional debut at age 14 with D.C. United, Adu is the one trying to get himself noticed after scoring a goal against lowly Grenada last weekend. "I have a friend in Portugal who was telling me it was all over the news and what not, that we played and I did OK, and I scored a goal, and all that stuff," said Adu, who plays for Benfica of the Portuguese Super Liga. "So [the coaches] do watch. You can't take anything for granted." Adu has languished on the bench for most of the last two years since making the jump...

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Mahan, Marino a tale of two players

Paired together, duo has polarizing day Finishing tied for the lead Sunday with eight groups still to finish gave Hunter Mahan some down time to recuperate, ponder a potential playoff and mingle with certain family members waiting for their own loved ones to finish. “I grabbed something to eat, and I was watching with Elin [Woods] and the kids and stuff,” said Mahan. “When he missed on 14, I yelled, ‘Yes,’ in a joking manner. It wasn’t like I was rooting against him, but it was just funny because you usually don’t see him miss putts.” It was easy for Mahan to be at ease after posting a course record-tying 62 that included six birdies on...

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D.C. United set for fireworks in Fourth of July matchup against Crew in Ohio

Crew finds its stroke » It took eight games for the 2008 MLS Cup champions to win their first game this season. But the Columbus Crew has been one of the hottest teams in the league entering Saturday's first-place showdown with D.C., boasting one loss since Apr. 5. Reigning league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto was named MLS player of the month after posting four goals and two assists in June. Quartet on international duty » United (5-3-8) and Columbus (5-3-7) are both missing two players due to national team call-ups for the CONCACAF Gold Cup: Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers and defender Chad Marshall are with the U.S. national team along with United midfielder Santino...

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Can Beltway's own bust out?

Fairfax native expects lots of local supporters The mistake would be to consider Steve Marino as solely the hometown favorite. He may very well lead the list of golfers most likely to earn their first victory on the PGA Tour. The Fairfax native starts the 2009 AT&T National on Thursday coming off a missed cut last weekend in Hartford. But the performance still on most minds was just over a month ago, when Marino lost in a playoff to Steve Stricker at The Colonial. "The thing I take away from that tournament is that I felt great in the playoff," said Marino. "I felt fine coming down the stretch of the back nine. I felt fine in the playoff. I wasn't overcome with...

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United survive against brave Barons

It was akin to Brazil facing the United States two days before in South Africa, as D.C. United hosted the Ocean City (N.J.) Barons, who play three divisions below Major League Soccer in the USL Premier Development League, on Tuesday at Maryland SoccerPlex. The favorites again prevailed, but only after Christian G—mez came off the bench to convert a 74th-minute penalty kick and goalkeeper Milos Kocic made multiple saves in the frantic final moments before Ange N'Silu knocked home a loose ball in extra time for a 2-0 margin in front of 2,021. With the victory, United advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will meet New England or Harrisburg City on July 7 at SoccerPlex. With five...

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United face 'little guys' in U.S. Open Cup title defense

D.C. faces Ocean City in third round Tuesday D.C. United's third round match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday marks the proper beginning to their defense of the tournament title they won last September following two play-in matches earlier this season. But United's latest opponent, the amateur Ocean City Barons of the Premier Developmental League, reminds head coach Tom Soehn and his players of two years ago, when D.C. suffered an embarrassing 1-0 loss to third-tier Harrisburg City in this very round of the competition. "I've been sharing that message with them, not only myself, but there've been guys on this team that have gone through it," said Soehn. "It's...

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Wiz introduce Miller, Foye

The first round of the 2009 NBA draft at Madison Square Garden in New York City may have been all about youth, potential, and the prospect for future results. But this was the Verizon Center in Washington. Shortly before watching 18-year-old Ricky Rubio go to the Minnesota Timberwolves with what had been their fifth overall pick, the Wizards introduced Mike Miller and Randy Foye, two players with a combined dozen years in the league and symbols of the franchise's determination to more than simply rebound from a 19-63 season and contend in the Eastern Conference in 2009-10. "They brought in two guys and sold a fifth pick, which could've been a really talented player," said...

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United explores Northwest passage

Tom Soehn isn't quite ready to be impressed with Seattle Sounders FC's strong start on and off the field in its first season in Major League Soccer. The D.C. United head coach was a member of the Chicago Fire during its inaugural campaign in 1998. "I won a championship that year so nothing surprises me," said Soehn, who will lead D.C. United (5-2-7) into its first-ever regular season game in the Northwest. It will be United's second visit to Qwest Field, where it played Real Madrid in an exhibition match in 2006. Wednesday night will be far from friendly, as the Sounders (5-3-5) have averaged a league-high 29,401 scarf-clad supporters per match, nearly double United's...

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Another staff change for the Wizards

Long-time video coordinator Jim Lynam Jr. has been let go by the Washington Wizards, the organization's latest move as head coach Flip Saunders puts his staff in place. Lynam, the son of former Bullets head coach and current Sixers assistant coach Jim Lynam, had worked for the Wizards for 15 years. In fact, my understanding is that it was an awkward anniversary. The move isn't a huge one, but it could pave the way for Flip Saunders' son, Ryan Saunders, to take the job, as has been rumored....

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DCU mini notes and a quote from Bob Bradley

Brief highlights from the day-before-game visit to RFK Stadium. 1. Christian Gómez (bruised toe) joined Ben Olsen (hamstring) on the OUT list for this weekend. That should pave the way for Santino Quaranta or Chris Pontius to claim the playmaking spot against New England. 2. We appear to be one step closer to the end of Louis Crayton's time with DCU, as observations indicated that the two United keepers traveling to Gillette Stadium this weekend are Milos Kocic and Josh Wicks. 3. Avery John has been called up to the Trinidad & Tobago national team for World Cup qualifiers next week. Speaking of which, there's much to mull over from U.S. national team head coach Bob...

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RFK report

And we're not talking ties, that's for sure. Instead, how about the report from Soccer by Ives that former D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak is taking the same job in Philadelphia, where he'll be the Union's first-ever head coach. Current DCU head coach Tom Soehn: "I’m happy for him, if that’s the case. He’s had a lot of success in our league, and he knows the game. He’ll try to play, which I think it’s all our responsibilities to show that this league is attractive. I’m real disappointed in the way it happened with Salt Lake, the mentality. It’s not a good brand of soccer to watch when teams come and pack it in. Peter’s always tried...

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James picks up option

Washington Wizards guard Mike James has picked up his player option for the 2009-10 season, agent Bernie Lee just informed me. James averaged 9.6 points and 3.6 assists in 53 games (50 starts) for the Wizards last season after being acquired eight games into the year from New Orleans in a three-team deal that also garnered Washington Javaris Crittenton from Memphis while sending New Orleans guard Antonio Daniels and a second-round draft pick. The Grizzlies picked up a conditional draft pick that the Wizards had originally acquired in the deal that gave Memphis Juan Carlos Navarro. James will earn $6.7 million this season. Because it is the final year of his contract, he could very well...

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United and Freedom leftovers

We'll start with D.C. United, who got a shutout at home against one of two teams in Major League Soccer that hasn't scored a single goal on the road. That said, Josh Wicks earned it with a couple great saves. Here's my report. Here are some quotes. Tom Soehn: "We talked about them bunkering, and they did just that. They bunkered, and very deep. The way you open that up is you score, early. We had a good chance to score, and we didn’t do it, and we kind of lulled ourselves to sleep, and we quit moving. It’s not the first team that’s come and bunkered against us, but the way we addressed it, we didn’t move off each other at all. We just stood there and waited...

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United's net progress in scoreless tie

D.C. United 0, Real Salt Lake 0 Rarely has defense been the first item mentioned this season for a D.C. United team that leads Major League Soccer in scoring. But out of the haze of a lackluster offensive showing in a 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday in front of 16,089 at RFK Stadium emerged D.C.’s first clean sheet in eight matches and a hint of long-sought clarity in the goalkeeping department. In his third start this year – and eighth of his MLS career – Josh Wicks preserved the result with his first career shutout. “Sometimes I usually get in the habit of thinking shutout, shutout,” said Wicks, who averaged 2.18 goals allowed in six...

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Heading into the doubleheader

We'll start with the Washington Freedom vs. Sky Blue FC first, since that game is first. It isn't the Freedom's first game in RFK since 2003. They've played there a couple times in different iterations. This weekend they will be without Abby Wambach, who is with the U.S. national team for Monday's friendly against Canada in Toronto. Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod will be in Washington however. She trained this week with the Canadians, but because Karina LeBlanc is expected to play for Canada against the U.S., McLeod got released. Sky Blue will be without Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone and Canadian Kelly Parker. Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra, who signed Arlington native Sarah Senty...

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One-on-one with Will Chang

This is overdue for today, but the link to my story today on Victor MacFarlane selling his share of D.C. United's operating rights to Will Chang is here. Chang spoke with me yesterday afternoon. Here are some of his comments that didn't quite make it into the print edition or were cut down for space reasons. First, on becoming the first Asian-American owner in Major League Soccer: "We live in a country where people come from many different areas of the world, and I think the distinction of being Asian American or Chinese American or being African American are beginning to blend. I really don’t consider myself as much Asian American but more as somebody who enjoys sports,...

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Hanging around the Verizon practice court

Let's just assume I'm going to be there a lot over the next month, shall we? As I told you yesterday, expected-to-be-named Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell was spotted in the halls of Verizon Center, and today he was seen again, this time in Wizards practice gear, helping to run a predraft workout. Who else was there? Randy Wittman and Gene Banks, but not Ryan Saunders, Flip's son. We'll have to see when things are made official. As for the players on the court today, Maryland junior Greivis Vasquez had to be pleased with his workout for the team just down the street. He showed a good variety of moves as well as leadership and some solid shooting skills. Not too bad. Kentucky's...

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BREAKING NEWS: MacFarlane selling DCU stake to Chang

D.C. United co-managing partner Victor MacFarlane has sold his stake in D.C. United to Will Chang. More details to come. Change reflected here on United's...

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A gulf stretching down I-95

D.C. United was good -- very good -- in the first half-hour of tonight's 5-3 whipping of New York. But with 20 of the 22 starters being different than who these two teams put out last weekend in league play, let's look at who started tonight on the benches. First, the Red Bulls: Kevin Goldthwaite, Mac Kandji, Jorge Rojas and Sinisa Ubiparipovic. Next, D.C. United: Marc Burch, Andrew Jacobson, Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta, Rodney Wallace. New York got better when it used its four subs, but it was already too late. DCU didn't even have to use Quaranta or Moreno and got out of the night with just a half for Christian Gómez. Now, we know I'm no expert on New York, but that's the...

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Wiz coaching staff update?

It was reported here today -- buried, but reported -- that Wizards head coach Flip Saunders' staff is now slated to include ex-Wolves coach Randy Wittman, ex-Wolves guard Sam Cassell and Saunders' son, Ryan, a former Minnesota Gophers assistant. The staff has not been officially named yet, and Cassell has been linked with Saunders for the last month. But I can report to you that indeed Cassell was seen at Verizon Center this afternoon. We'll have to see if more details come out during Wiz president Ernie Grunfeld's chat with the press, which should start in a few minutes....

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18 holes for Nicole

Check out an announcement that was passed my way first, and then we can move on to the MLS page stuff from today's print edition. The Nicole Megaloudis Foundation presents: 18 Holes for Nicole (For those who don't know, here's Nicole's story) What: 1 day golf outing to raise money for the Nicole Megaloudis Scholarship Foundation When: Sunday , September 13th 2009, 1 pm Where: Penderbrook Golf Course, 3700 Golf Trail Lane, Fairfax, Va., 22033 Why: To continue to support a foundation that helps young students pursue their dreams of attending and competing athletically at colleges across the nation. Through donor support the foundation will continue to try and bring Nicole’s...

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Olsen to miss 3-4 weeks; Wallace weighs international options

D.C. will use mix of players to fill void in the midfield Ben Olsen will miss 3-4 weeks after an MRI on Monday revealed a grade two right hamstring strain suffered in the opening minutes of D.C. United's 2-2 draw at Chivas USA last weekend. After missing the previous week against Toronto for precautionary reasons, Olsen left the Chivas match in the seventh minute. "Any time you're out, especially him, he takes it hard," said United head coach Tom Soehn. "We're just going to have to wait for him to get back, and in the meantime, we keep trucking along. It's someone else's chance to step in. That's why we've been circulating a lot of guys." Without Olsen, United is...

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GOAL! » May 20, 2009

STORY LINES 1. More Union news in Philly » Last week Major League Soccer’s newest expansion franchise unveiled its name: Philadelphia Union. Next on tap should be the naming of its head coach. Chicago Red Stars CEO Peter Wilt fueled speculation via Twitter last week by saying, “I like the Union’s head coach selection. Good job Nick,” referring to Philadelphia CEO Nick Sakiewicz. But no details have been revealed except that the individual will be high-profile and experienced. Leading candidates include current U.S. assistant Peter Nowak, New England assistant Paul Mariner, Houston assistant John Spencer, New York assistant Richie Williams, and Kansas City...

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Wallace for CR or USA? and other DCU

So, I'm still in the early stages of figuring out how to balance my D.C. United beat with new responsibilities covering the Washington Wizards. It's a work in progress, to say the least. Please bear with me. I'll get to Rodney Wallace in a moment. But first, I did make it down to RFK earlier today to visit with DCU ahead of tomorrow night's match against New York with a spot in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the line. The Red Bulls' focus on a rematch and revenge for the 3-2 result at Giants Stadium probably differs from that of D.C. United', which has more concerns about putting together a first eleven that can grind out a result without inflicting too much damage on...

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Villanova’s Reynolds tries out a beltway commute

Wildcats’ point guard works out with Wizards Scottie Reynolds figured it would be smarter to keep his mother in the dark about his workout for the Washington Wizards until the last minute, so he didn’t tell her until Sunday about his Monday plans. “I don’t really like to tell her too many things in advance because she gets too energized,” said Reynolds. “I don’t want to hear it for like three days. I just tell her at the spur of the moment.” And so, with his junior year at Villanova complete, the 21-year-old started his week like most other professionals, commuting into the city from his Herndon home. Except Reynolds headed to Verizon...

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First play run

This should kick off the Washignton Examiner's new NBA/Wizards blog just fine. The following folks are working out for the Wizards this morning..... Name Pos. College Hometown Ht./Wt. Scottie Reynolds G Villanova Herndon, VA 6’2”, 190 lbs. Jerel McNeal G Marquette Chicago, IL 6’3”, 200 lbs. Lester Hudson G Tennessee-Martin Memphis, TN 6’3”, 190 lbs. Mike Rose G Eastern Kentucky Naperville, IL...

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Change remains consistent for United's goalkeepers

Crayton, Wicks and Kocic have been rotating so far It's hard to imagine Edwin van der Sar splitting time with anyone at Manchester United, and Americans Brad Friedel (Aston Villa) and Tim Howard (Everton) are as reliable as the rising sun. But D.C. United (3-1-5) has won championships in Major League Soccer with rotating goalkeepers, and it appears dead set on the strategy in 2009, freely swapping Louis Crayton (5 starts) with Josh Wicks (2 starts) and Milos Kocic (2 starts). "Everybody singles out goalkeepers as being different," said United head coach Tom Soehn. "We hold everybody to a standard, that everybody has to perform to be on the field. It's no different for...

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Thursday travel day

Before D.C. United heads across the country for Saturday night's showdown with league-leading Chivas, I'm headed out to RFK for a visit. In the meantime, here's the link to my story on Devon McTavish, which may have made it into some print editions but for the most part was swept aside in favor of stories on the Capitals' Game 7 debacle and the end of Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak.......

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United's depth limits playing time for McTavish

Injury, quality D.C. bench kept veteran out of lineup Devon McTavish had to be hard on himself. He began the year with high expectations, a new contract and a place in D.C. United's first eleven, only to see things quickly derailed when he bashed heads with teammate Greg Janicki against Los Angeles on opening day. Compound a head injury with the emergence of the deepest team in MLS, and it was eight games before McTavish was a starter again last weekend. But the usual workmanlike effort against Toronto -- the kind of showing that has made him into one of D.C.'s most dependable players -- was overshadowed by a single play. "I think I broke up some plays and prevented some...

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Scaled-back MLS page

The abridged version of the MLS page can be found here (the Devon McTavish story will appear tomorrow). The intent was to have the new Philadelphia Union logo as the artwork anchor. Oh well. You can find that here. Am I off base on the bridge idea? The Philadelphia Inquirer put me onto it. Here are my rankings: 1. Chivas (7-1-1, 22 points) (1) Tied for second-best start in league history since MLS began recording ties in 2000. 2. Seattle Sounders (4-2-2, 14 pts) (2) James Riley’s ejection – Seattle’s third this season – smears otherwise stellar campaign. 3. Fire (2-0-6, 12 pts) (3) Five ties in a row, a streak that will end during next three games away...

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United straight-faced after thrilling finish

D.C. United 3, Toronto FC 3 D.C. United extended its unbeaten streak to five games by salvaging a nail-biting 3-3 tie with Toronto FC in second-half stoppage time on Saturday night. They also walked away from the match both unsatisfied and unhappy, thank you very much. “I thought it was pretty exciting, even though I thought we relaxed a little too much,” said United forward Jaime Moreno, who capped the night off with a 92nd-minute penalty kick after Toronto defender Marvell Wynne handled a Bryan Namoff cross in the box. “In the beginning, we thought it was going to be easier, and it got complicated.” After taking a 1-0 lead into halftime, United (3-1-5)...

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Hoyas do enough to cast aside Demons

Georgetown 48, DePaul 40 One of John Thompson III’s regular refrains over the course of his tenure as Georgetown head coach has been to avoid talking about the Big East standings during the regular season, instead preferring to “pick our heads up at the end and see where we are.” An easy thing to do when the Hoyas win the regular season title, as they did each of the past two years. But after an unremarkable 48-40 win over last-place DePaul – a victory that didn’t affect either team’s seeding in next week’s Big East Tournament – Thompson’s evaluation consisted of little more than a begrudging wish for a few more wins. “We...

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NCAA hopes darken for Hoyas

The sense of history was palpable Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center, not the least reason for which was the presence of eight members of Georgetown’s 1984 team there to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their national championship. But afterward, the 17,686 in attendance grappled with the real risk that an NCAA Tournament berth for this year’s Hoyas might in fact be history. After matching No. 10 Marquette, the Big East’s top scoring team, stride for stride in game where the lead changed 13 times in the first 32 minutes, Georgetown was held to two field goals over the final 4 minutes, 53 seconds in a demoralizing 78-72 defeat to the Golden Eagles. The loss meant...

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Vide is released

Smaller teams made D.C. midfielder odd man out D.C. United released midfielder Joe Vide on Tuesday, a move that signaled the team is increasingly pleased with its depth as it approaches the midway point of training camp. Vide, who was picked up last July off waivers, had one goal in eight regular-season appearances (seven starts, 590 minutes played) and was a significant contributor over the second half of last season. He was upgraded to a senior roster spot in the offseason, but his prospects took a hit after the arrival of 2008 draftee Andrew Jacobson from France. “I don’t think that Joe changed,” said United head coach Tom Soehn. “I think the circumstances...

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Colonials hurt themselves, fall further

La Salle 68, George Washington 57 Teams that give up four-point and five-point plays do not give themselves a good chance to win. George Washington, which needs every victory it can get with seven games to go to even consider squeaking its way into the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, is running out of good chances. Coming of their first conference win of the season last weekend, the Colonials spotted La Salle both such plays in the first half and could never bounce back in a scrappy 68-57 loss in front of 2,409 at Smith Center. The defeat was a program-record third in a row to the Explorers (13-10, 4-5 A-10), who snapped their own three-game skid. “We’re just not...

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Army no match for American

American 58, Army 34 Army entered Wednesday already in possession of four out of the five lowest scores recorded against American during Eagles head coach Jeff Jones’ nine seasons. Now the Black Knights own five out of the lowest six, lowering their own most dubious mark by three points in a 58-34 loss to an American team that is playing nearly as well as it can at the midway point of the Patriot League regular season. With the victory in front of 1,292 at Bender Arena, the Eagles (14-7, 6-1) moved into a tie atop the conference standings with Holy Cross (11-11, 6-1) and within a game of matching their best start in conference play since 1981-82, when they opened play in the East...

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Hoyas' hot hands overwhelm Syracuse

No. 13 Georgetown 88, No. 8 Syracuse 74 Temperatures are dropping all over Washington, signaling the onset of an icy cold stretch that is expected to last into the weekend. But inside Verizon Center, heat is emanating from every part of Georgetown, which on Wednesday played a spectacular first half and finished with its best shooting night of the season – all 11 players who played, scored – in a thorough demolition of Syracuse, 88-74, in front of 19,227. “I told the team, ‘Everybody played, and everybody made a significant contribution today,’” said Hoyas head coach John Thompson III. Georgetown (12-3, 3-2 Big East) shot 59 percent from the field...

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Freshmen provide fresh start

Trio of young guns have helped George Mason bolt out of the gate They each fill a specific need. They each do it in a unique way. And while none of them are quite ready to be called a finished product, George Mason’s three freshmen have quietly helped the Patriots (10-3, 3-0 Colonial Athletic Association) match their best start this decade. Five-foot-10 Andre Cornelius, 6-6 Ryan Pearson and 6-9 Mike Morrison are George Mason’s sixth, seventh and eighth guys off the bench and their sixth-, seventh- and eighth-leading scorers. They combined for 36 points in a 41-point win over UNC Wilmington last weekend. But that was sandwiched in between five points in the Patriots’...

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A guarded victory for George Mason

Larranaga uses small lineup as Pats hang on George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga feigned a struggle to remember. When had he last utilized a four-guard lineup this season? “Let me think,” said Larranaga, smiling. “This was the first time.” But after George Mason’s 10-point first half lead against Georgia State had turned into a three-point deficit with less than a half to play Monday, Larranaga’s strategy shift was no joke, as it rescued a 58-52 victory over the Panthers and preserved the Patriots’ place atop the Colonial Athletic Association. “When coach called that out, I was kind of surprised because they were kind of big,” said...

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Hoyas, Irish both trying to rebound

Georgetown demonstrated earlier this year exactly how to bounce back after a disappointing defeat. Two days after losing to Tennessee during Thanksgiving weekend in Orlando, the Hoyas pummeled Maryland by 27 points. But Georgetown (10-2, 1-1 Big East) won’t be only team looking for a turnaround tonight at 7 when it faces Notre Dame at the Edmund P. Joyce Center. The Irish also are coming off a loss, one that was far closer than the Hoyas’ 16-point losing margin against Pittsburgh but far more embarrassing, having come against a team Notre Dame (10-3, 1-1) should’ve beaten, St. John’s. Three-point shooting let Notre Dame down (4-for-17, 24 percent) against the Red...

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Patriots defend into triple digits

George Mason 101, UNC Wilmington 60 George Mason topped one hundred points for the first time since 2005 in a 101-60 thumping of UNC Wilmington on Saturday. It figures, then, that Patriots senior guard John Vaughan’s first comments after the game were about defense. Twelve different players scored – five in double figures – for George Mason, which used the occasion of its Colonial Athletic Association home opener to hand the Seahawks their worst-ever conference defeat in front of 8,010 at Patriot Center. But Vaughan, who fittingly had a game-high 20 points and five assists on his 23rd birthday, was most proud that George Mason held the visitors six points in the first...

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Blair, Pitt halt Hoyas' rise

No. 3 Pittsburgh 70, No. 11 Georgetown 54 The answer to just how good Georgetown is must lie somewhere in between. As dominating as 11th-ranked Hoyas were five days ago in their Big East opener, when they self-assuredly dismantled No. 2 Connecticut in a double-digit victory on the road, they were just as handily picked apart in the second half Saturday afternoon at home by No. 3 Pittsburgh, which rode an enormous rebounding advantage to a 70-54 win. The loss was Georgetown’s first in eight games and first at Verizon Center in nearly two years – the last coming to Villanova in Jan. 2007 -- ending a stretch of 29 consecutive home wins (28 at Verizon Center), the longest streak...

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Spirited Mount can't stop Hoyas

No. 15 Georgetown 69, Mount St. Mary’s 58 There were no cheerleaders, no band, a miniscule student section, and fresh off fall exams, a group of Georgetown players that hardly resembled the team that toppled Memphis in overtime in a nationally televised game last weekend. But the fifteenth-ranked Hoyas’ mere presence was still enough Saturday at Verizon Center. Both bigger and stronger than pesky Mount St. Mary’s, Georgetown (8-1) overcame its poorest offensive performance of the year by muscling its way to the free throw line a season-high 38 times in a 69-58 victory in front of 10,364. “I’m not sure if I’m pleased with anyone right now,” said...

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Patriots double down Highlanders

George Mason 67, Radford 55 They came in pairs. On four different occasions Friday night at Patriot Center, one of a pair of George Mason guards, Cam Long and John Vaughan, dropped a pair of 3-pointers on Radford, each time a tougher double-blow for the visitors to handle. And at the end, with 30 seconds remaining and the two of them having combined for 32 points in the Patriots’ 67-55 victory over the Highlanders, the pair of standouts were substituted together to a gracious ovation from the 5,164 in attendance. “First half, we came out a little sluggish,” said Long, accounting for the 13 days that had passed since George Mason’s last game. “But the second...

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Colonials take off, ground Eagles

George Washington 63, American 50 Neither George Washington nor American will play on their home court during the holidays. But while the Colonials will take some encouraging signs into a five-game road trip over the next month, the Eagles are at real risk of having the final leg non-conference schedule put them in a bind before Patriot League play begins on Jan. 10. In front of 2,653 on Wednesday at Smith Center, the Colonials held the Eagles to 33 percent shooting from the field – more than 11 percent below their normal average – sending their District neighbors to a fourth straight defeat with a 63-50 victory. “Right now we’re just trying to be...

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Goode is great against American

Mount St. Mary’s 57, American 52 Just as Garrison Carr burst onto the scene over the past year for American, this season Jeremy Goode is doing the same for Mount St. Mary's. Both guards are 5-9, and entering Monday's contest at Bender Arena, they shared nearly equal scoring averages, with Goode (20.3 points per game) a hair better than Carr (20.2). But when Goode threw down the gauntlet with a second-half barrage of NBA-length-and-then-some 3-pointers on the way to a career-high 29 points, Carr and the Eagles (4-3) couldn’t match him, dropping their second straight game, 57-52, in front of 1,383. Down, 53-50, with 20 seconds remaining, American had a chance to tie, but Nick...

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Colonials ward off Retrievers

George Washington 70, UMBC 64 George Washington’s solid second half came close to withering away in the final moments before the Thanksgiving holiday began Wednesday night, with the Colonials throwing the ball away twice with less than two minutes to play, enabling UMBC to cut an eight-point lead to just two. With 19 seconds remaining, George Washington freshman Tony Taylor made the first of two free throws to restore the margin to 67-64. But when he missed his second attempt, Damian Hollis was there with evidence that the Colonials are redefining themselves after last year’s dismal campaign, rising for a putback that sent his team to an eventual 70-64 victory over the...

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Weekend area college basketball outlook

Vermont at Maryland Where » Comcast Center When » Friday, 8 p.m. TV/Radio » Comcast SportsNet/106.7 FM The skinny » The Catamounts (1-1) travel to College Park for the second time in three seasons — former Maryland assistant Mike Lonergan’s squad lost to the Terrapins, 81-63, in the semifinals of the 2K College Hoops Classic in 2006. Last weekend they took George Mason to overtime, losing by one despite 24 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and four assists by junior forward Marqus Blakely, the reigning America East player of the year and defensive player of the year. Greivis Vasquez is pacing the Terps (2-0) with 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0...

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Hollis powers Colonials past Bearcats

George Washington 71, Binghamton 57 Damian Hollis knows all too well the responsibility he carries to help get George Washington back to the NCAA Tournament after its run of three consecutive appearances was ended last year. The multi-talented 6-foot-8 junior is more than capable, too. Except that his best plays often come when he’s trying to make up for something he’s done wrong. Wednesday night in the Colonials’ home opener, Hollis had half of George Washington’s eight turnovers. But he also made five blocks to go with 15 points and six rebounds in a 71-57 win over Binghamton. “He still has that tendency to, when he needs to be aggressive and take a...

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Hoyas win season opener

Monroe finishes with 14 points, seven boards The spotlight gets turned on you right away when you’re arguably the top recruit in the nation. Thus, 6-foot-11 freshman Greg Monroe was thrust into the fray before Georgetown’s season opener even began Monday night, as the first member of the Hoyas starting five to be introduced to the 10,253 at Verizon Center. The Harvey, La., native also proved his pedigree is for real, not shying away one bit from the expectations heaped on his shoulders as the signature member of head coach John Thompson III’s second generation of recruits. A slicing cut to the basket 13 seconds into the game for an easy layup off a bounce pass from...

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Georgetown takes first steps tonight

The second generation of Georgetown basketball under head coach John Thompson III will have its anticipated unveiling tonight, one that may included a start by highly-touted freshman forward Greg Monroe in his first college game. But it will be at least a couple weeks before any serious evaluation of the Hoyas without Jonathan Wallace and Roy Hibbert, who were fixtures in each of Thompson’s first four years. He begins his fifth campaign with two teams that should allow Monroe to find his feet and senior guard Jessie Sapp to establish himself as floor general. Jacksonville (0-1) lost to the Hoyas by 32 points last year, and Drexel is picked to finish last in the Colonial Athletic...

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Bison are better than Obama’s brother-in-law, 47-45

The dozen or so Howard fans that stormed the court at Burr Gymnasium following the Bison’s season-opening 47-45 win over Oregon State on Friday probably wouldn’t and couldn’t have done so if future First Lady Michelle Obama and her security detail had been present. All the better, then, that she and president-elect Barack Obama missed seeing the Bison spoil her brother Craig Robinson’s debut as Beavers head coach. “They stormed the court,” said Howard head coach Gil Jackson. “I’ve never seen that. Storming the court at the Burr, that’s what we want to do. We want to be a college basketball program that competes.” Despite...

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United seeks win today to make playoffs

Victory at Columbus would allow D.C.'s MLS season to continue After all the injuries, the countless matches in every conceivable tournament and the seemingly endless winless streaks , D.C. United (11-14-4) can still secure a spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs with a victory this afternoon at Columbus. “I don’t know if it’s meant to be,” said United midfielder Santino Quaranta of the 5-2 victory by Chicago over New York on Thursday that put destiny in D.C.’s hands. “But it seems like something good is going to happen now.” Quaranta himself celebrated his own one-year anniversary of sobriety on the same night. United head coach Tom Soehn...

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United needs wins, and more

With two games left in the CONCACAF Champions League and one in the regular season, the scenarios required for D.C. United’s advancement in each competition are as complicated as their own task is simple. Winning is all that’s required. In the Champions League, United (0-3-1, 1 point) sits six points behind Cruz Azul (2-1-1, 7 points), Saprissa (2-1-1, 7 pts) and Marathon (2-1-1, 7 pts). To reach the Champions League knockout stage next spring, United must beat Cruz Azul tonight in Mexico, Marathon next week at home and score enough goals to overcome a tiebreaker with each of them. At the same time, United also needs Saprissa to win its final two matches. The task’s...

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United looking to make playoff push tonight

Although its playoff hopes have been on the ropes for the last month, D.C. United can vault into fourth place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference with a victory over New England (12-9-7) in tonight’s regular season home finale. The impact of a win will only be known after Kansas City and New York play this weekend. Both teams began the week ahead of United (10-14-4) in the standings. D.C. should be boosted by the return of Luciano Emilio (hamstring) and Jaime Moreno (knee), neither of whom played in last weekend’s scoreless draw at Houston. Defender Bryan Namoff will miss the match after receiving two yellow cards against the Dynamo. The Revolution are already in...

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Stadium study touts revenue

A D.C. United stadium in Prince George’s County would draw up to 840,000 attendees, generate up to $80 million in revenue, and bring in $6 million in taxes per year, according to results of a Maryland Stadium Authority feasibility study presented to the Prince George’s County Council on Tuesday. The report pleased United and backed the position of county administrators who are attempting to lure the team to Maryland. “The comprehensive report, compiled on behalf of the MSA, substantiates what D.C. United has always believed: our new stadium will be a strong economic catalyst providing significant benefits,” said United in a statement. But United also has promised...

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Soccer stadium study is on PG council agenda

Maryland Stadium Authority officials will brief the Prince George’s County Council today on the results of a study weighing the economic benefits of a soccer stadium in Prince George’s County. The report, commissioned in January, could give an indication of whether D.C. United is a step closer to leaving the District of Columbia — and a proposed but stalled stadium plan at Poplar Point — for the Maryland suburbs. The MDA study is not site-specific, but locations near the Greenbelt and New Carrollton metro stations have both been reported as possibilities for a stadium. The Greenbelt City Council is opposed to the idea, and nowhere in the city’s development...

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Mystics fire Hargrove

Mystics general manager Linda Hargrove was sacked Monday, following a season in which the Mystics went 10-24 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive year. “Our basketball team has struggled to make progress and move forward,” said Mystics chief operating officer Greg Bibb. “We feel a change at the top of the basketball side of the business was necessary to begin the process of improving our team.” After serving as a scout and assistant coach, Hargrove graduated to general manager in 2005, when Sheila Johnson became a part-owner and president of the team. Johnson said last month she was fed up with the Mystics’ losing tradition, that “our...

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Punter battle royal goes the distance

Frost, Brooks to both kick in Redskins preseason finale It’s the veteran savvy that won’t allow Derrick Frost to be tempted into believing he’s won his job back. The Redskins punter had one of the few standout performances in an otherwise dreadful 47-3 preseason blowout loss to Carolina last weekend, averaging 51.3 yards over eight punts, including a 65-yarder that would’ve matched his career-long. But because the Redskins didn’t win, and because rookie punter Durant Brooks is still on the roster, Frost was reluctant to project his standing in the down-to-the-wire position battle. “When something like [a 47-3 loss] happens, everybody’s got to...

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More injury woes for D.C.

Bad hammy will shelve Fred through weekend Casualty central » D.C. United’s season is increasingly under threat from an ever-growing injury list. Fred is the latest addition, having picked up a hamstring strain Wednesday against New England that will keep him sidelined through the weekend and beyond. Zach Wells also will miss Saturday with a foot problem that kept him from traveling to the Revolution match. More from Moreno » With his next goal, D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno will reach double figures for the third time in four seasons and seventh time in his 13-year Major League Soccer career. Rapid turnover » Colorado head coach Fernando Clavijo, who has been...

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AU coach Jones gets extension

Terms of deal unknown; team returns six seniors After leading the American men’s basketball team to a Patriot League title and its first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament berth last spring, Eagles head coach Jeff Jones will be rewarded with a contract extension today, according to a source close to the team. The details were not yet known. The 15th-seeded Eagles lost to No. 2 Tennessee in the first round of the NCAAs, finishing the year 21-12, the best record in Jones’ eight-season tenure. American will return three starters and six seniors this season, including Patriot League Tournament MVP Garrison Carr. Jones returned to Washington last week from the USO Tour...

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Mystics owner attempting to rekindle spirit

Mystics president Sheila Johnson went public Tuesday to try and rescue the fortunes of her struggling franchise. In a call with reporters — prompted by the recent trade of veteran Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a move all but assuring that 2008 will be the latest dismal chapter in the team’s 11-year history — Johnson promised changes, saying, “we cannot continue on this path.” The Mystics (10-16) also fired head coach Tree Rollins last month, but Johnson lamented the lack of talented athletes and scorers on Washington’s roster. “The Mystics have been operating for too long without a long-term plan,” said Johnson. “In the three years that I...

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Crayton's small world

Louis Crayton was a star-struck 21-year-old playing for Grasshoppers in Switzerland when he was invited to take part in a FIFA World All-Star tribute match for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in the summer of 1999. Among the players the young Liberian goalkeeper got to meet: Brazilian midfielder Dunga, now the coach of his national team; French star Jean-Pierre Papin, also a coach today with RC Lens; and Jeff Agoos, who represented D.C. United and then-fledgling Major League Soccer. Since Crayton officially joined United last week — earning a shutout in his debut — he’s come across reminders at RFK Stadium of that introduction to Agoos and MLS nine years ago. “I...

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Quaranta back in central role

Margin for error is slim as United takes on Fire In his return to D.C. United’s starting lineup on Tuesday, Santino Quaranta demonstrated how time off due to injury causes subtle setbacks for even the most elite soccer player. “This game’s funny because I was out for a couple weeks, and you have to catch up mentally,” said Quaranta. Thrust into a central playmaking role, he had a couple of frustrating first-half misses before getting his touch right to score the game-winner three minutes after halftime in United’s 3-1 win over New England in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. “I thought the second half — I talked to [head coach] Tommy [Soehn] at...

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Sinclair handles the hassle

Whether it’s landing a spot on the Redskins’ opening day roster or wearing a helmet speaker, Matt Sinclair’s philosophy is the same. “You get advantages from doing the small things on the field, like effort, film study,” said the reserve linebacker. “It doesn’t come from a piece of technology inside your helmet.” Sinclair called it a hassle to wear the special electronics that have been introduced on the defensive side of the ball this year during last weekend’s Hall of Fame game. But having to relay plays to the Washington defense didn’t prevent him from going all-out himself. The same effort propelled him from the bottom of...

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Mason’s mixed message

Marcus Mason knows what he needs to do to earn his way onto the Redskins’ roster this summer. It isn’t supposed to be rushing 18 times for 98 yards, as the second year running back did in last weekend’s Hall of Fame game. “Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts — he could easily start for another team — and then Rock Cartwright is a great running back as well, and then there’s me,” said Mason of the Redskins’ fully stocked backfield. “They say that I’ve got to try and do well on special teams. If I’m going to be on the team, that’s where it’s going to be.” But Mason made himself hard to ignore with his...

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MLS players to split SuperLiga bonuses

SuperLiga suffered another hit Monday as the Major League Soccer Players Union announced that players from the New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo, who face one another in tonight’s final in Foxborough, Mass., have agreed to pool and split evenly the bonus money at stake. The move comes as a protest of the players’ inability to negotiate with individual team owners for their share of the tournament winner’s $1 million prize. A grievance filed by Dynamo players last year is set for arbitration in the near future. Under the current Major League Soccer collective bargaining agreement, a winning MLS team’s players split $150,000, or just over $5,000 per player...

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Zorn has it covered, so far

Jim Zorn strode the sidelines with the swagger of a veteran in his debut as an NFL head coach in Sunday night’s Hall of Fame Game, notably mastering the technique of covering his mouth with his laminated, handwritten note-covered game plan while calling plays. But nobody’s perfect. “If you saw all the thick, heavy ink, I heard there was some flashes of some of the game plan on camera and stuff,” said Zorn. “I just have to write smaller.” In one sense, the rookie skipper was poking fun at himself. Yet, it may indeed have been the only thing he overlooked in the Redskins’ remarkably organized and composed 30-16 victory over Indianapolis in which...

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Canada’s own helps MLS make it five

In what has become an annual tradition, a squad of Major League Soccer’s best players bested a top-level foreign opponent in the MLS All-Star Game, defeating England’s West Ham United, 3-2, on a gorgeous evening in front of 20,844 at BMO Field."Not just because Continued...

 

Dynamo match postponed again

D.C. United’s home match against the Houston Dynamo was postponed for a second time Tuesday afternoon and will beplayed tonight at 7:30. All tickets from the game’s original June 4 date or July 22 makeup date will be honored. The match’s most recent postponement was caused by power outages in Southeast Washington that affected RFK Stadium on Tuesday, according to D.C. United spokesman Doug Hicks.The match originally was scheduled for June 4, but was abandoned less than 20 minutes into the first half due to heavy rain. The power outage......

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Beard happy to dish

Mystics guard Alana Beard (16.6 ppg) doesn’t care that she hasn’t scored in double figures in five of the last six games. "I’ve been pretty consistent," joked Beard after nine points and nine assists against Seattle on Sunday. The Mystics (9-14) hope to prove the win wasn’t a fluke and want payback against the Liberty (12-10), who beat Washington by 21 points last week.Beard, along with Monique Currie, has the green light every time down the floor under interim head coach Jessie Kenlaw’s simplified offensive scheme. "Her philosophy is just......

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D.C. expects different in Houston rematch

D.C. United’s return to regular season action against Houston provides a number of opportunities: a clean slate after three demoralizing losses in SuperLiga — including one against the Dynamo — the chance to build on a six-match unbeaten run in league play, and a platform to prove United was unfairly ignored in the MLS All-Star process."We don’t want to think that we’re on the same track as the beginning of the season,"......

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United match postponed, again

D.C. United’s home match against the Houston Dynamo was postponed for asecond time Tuesday afternoon andwill be played tonight at 7:30. All tickets from the game’s original June 4 date or July 22 makeup date will be honored. The match’s most recent postponement was caused by power outages in Southeast Washington that affected RFK Stadium on Tuesday, according to D.C. United spokesman Continued...

 

Kenlaw casts first spell

Published: Jul 21, 2008

Jessie Kenlaw’s task was simple in her first game as interim Mystics head coach, change the mindset of a team that was on the brink of collapse after two blowout losses by a combined 58 points.With a remarkable 89-57 demolition of WNBA Western Conference-leading Seattle, the second-biggest margin of victory in Mystics history, the mission already has morphed into sustaining the competitive......

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Dynamo double means roster shuffle for United

Published: Jul 18, 2008

With how notorious D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn has become regarding the secrecy around his starting lineup, it’s hardly worth speculating whether or not rookie goalkeeper James Thorpe might be a considered to start Saturday against Houston, a game D.C. needs to win by three goals to even have a chance to advance......

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United depleted, not depressed

Published: Jul 15, 2008

It made little sense for Tom Soehn to debate who to use in D.C. United’s last weekend against CD Guadalajara."We pretty much had 18 guys available," said the United head coach. "It’s not that many to choose from."Three days later, things haven’t improved as United prepares to host Atlante, the second of two Mexican opponents in SuperLiga Group A.Playmaker Marcelo Gallardo, who received a......

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MLS Players Union chooses to denounce SuperLiga bonuses

Published: Jul 14, 2008

With Major League Soccer’s current collective bargaining agreement with its players set to expire at the end of 2009, the league received a shot across its bow over the weekend, as the MLS Players Union voiced displeasure with the bonus structure for SuperLiga, which began for D.C. United with a 2-1 loss to CD Guadalajara on Saturday."MLS is misleading its great fans,"......

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Mystics handle Sun

Published: Jul 14, 2008

Alana Beardspent nearly all of the third quarter and much of the fourth on the bench for the Mystics on Sunday afternoon after suffering a heavy blow to her right eye during a scramble for rebound two minutes after halftime.Looking like a prizefighter, Beard still managed to bank in one of only two Washington field goals in the final quarter with just under a minute to play, helping the Mystics hold off......

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United turns in Blanco video

Published: Jul 10, 2008

D.C. United has submitted a requested video of its U.S. Open Cup victory over the Chicago Fire to both the U.S. Soccer Federation and Major League Soccer after multiple incidents during the match involving Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco, including an alleged head-butt of......

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Langhorne stepping up for Mystics

Published: Jul 08, 2008

Washington Mystics rookie forward Crystal Langhorne had her best game of the season Sunday against San Antonio, with 17 points and seven rebounds in her fourth consecutive start.But with her locker just down the wall from veteran Nakia Sanford, who Langhorne displaced, the former Maryland standout......

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Mystics drop third straight

Published: Jul 07, 2008

It was as if Becky Hammon had popped off a screen into an empty gym.With 3:27 remaining Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center, the San Antonio point guard found herself so wide open that she had time to pause, look up, look down, and then smile as she drained a 3-pointer from the elbow.The shot all but sealed the visiting Silver Stars’......

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United is putting new stock in this year’s U.S. Open Cup

Published: Jul 01, 2008

D.C. United has taken a renewed approach to this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for two reasons. First, the winner of the nation’s oldest knockout competition now earns an automatic bid into the CONCACAF Champions League.Second, D.C. can do no worse than last year, when it fielded a reserve-heavy lineup and suffered an embarrassing third-round loss to Harrisburg City of the USL......

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My mom knows Eddie Jordan

Published: Jul 01, 2008

By now it’s no longer a secret that JaVale McGee was born to be a basketball player, after the Nevada sophomore center became the first son of a WNBA player to be chosen in last week’s NBA draft.He may have also been destined to be a Continued...

 

United soars past Galaxy

Published: Jun 30, 2008

The endless discussion of D.C. United’s inability to get a shutout has become irrelevant. Averaging three goals per game over the past month, United’s attack has given the team new life at the midpoint of the regular season, and it matched the hype of a nationally televised showdown with David Beckham and the potent Los Angeles Galaxy offense with an overwhelming 4-1......

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Four scores may not be enough

Published: Jun 26, 2008

If it’s possible to believe it, David Beckham could be just a side note when the Los Angeles Galaxy visits D.C. United on Sunday afternoon.Perhaps that’s a stretch, but in a match featuring Major League Soccer’s top two offenses — and worst two defenses — expect goals themselves to be an equal......

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Bozeman to succeed McKeown at GW

Published: Jun 24, 2008

George Washington women's basketball assistant coach Mike Bozeman is expected to be named the Colonials new head coach today, according to a source who said Bozeman has been making calls as if he were putting together a coaching staff.Bozeman, 41, takes over for Joe McKeown, who resigned earlier this month after 19 seasons to become the head coach at Northwestern. During his......

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Earthquakes don’t rattle United

Published: Jun 23, 2008

Clearly offensive production is no longer a concern for D.C. United, which extended its longest unbeaten streak of the season with a 3-1 victory over lowly San Jose on Sunday afternoon.But the shadow of Major League Soccer’s most potent attacking team, the Los Angeles Galaxy, next weekend’s opponent, loomed large over a......

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United assesses net depth

Published: Jun 18, 2008

With the schedule filling up and the days before Major League Soccer contracts are guaranteed winding down, expect D.C. United to make roster tweaks and adjustments before the end of the month.The club started to confront one of its main tasks in earnest this week, strengthening the goalkeeping corps, by welcoming on trial 21-year-old Frenchman Manuel Villaurio.If United likes Villaurio, who is under contract but out of favor with French first......

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With Mystics reeling, Hargrove backs Rollins

Published: Jun 13, 2008

Mystics general manager Linda Hargrove gave her support tohead coach Tree Rollins despite five consecutive losses for the Mystics (2-7) entering tonight’s game at Chicago."The part that’s just frustrating is the injuries that we’ve had at one position," said Hargrove, pointing to the Mystics’ continued issues at point guard. "That’s where we haven’t be able to get any kind of consistency. That’s as......

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A return toform for Emilio

Published: Jun 11, 2008

In his season and a half in Major League Soccer, Luciano Emilio has built a reputation for lethal finishing ability but also reliance on service from teammates.So it was a pleasant surprise when each of D.C. United’s two goals last weekend at Chicago came courtesy of Emilio’s individual effort with the ball at his......

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Lawson likes his chances

Published: Jun 10, 2008

Ty Lawson doesn’t think his recent arrest will affect his status in this month’s NBA draft, where the 20-year-old expects to be taken in the first round if he decides not to return to North Carolina."It wasn’t as bad as, like, everything portrayed it," said Lawson following his Monday workout for the Wizards. "I read the headlines — drinking and driving, drunken......

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Smith should start at PG

Published: Jun 06, 2008

The Mystics start a two-game road trip tonight, traveling to San Antonio before heading to Connecticut on Sunday.Ms. Smith goes to Washington » Crystal Smith is expected to be in uniform for the Mystics for the first time tonight, relieving point guard responsibilities from Continued...

 

Peralta could disrupt vibe

Published: Jun 04, 2008

Central defender Gonzalo Peralta is expected back in D.C. United’s starting lineup after missing last week’s game at New England for the birth of his son.Peralta has started nine of 11 games, but in his absence, United (3-7-1) put together one of its cleanest defensive performances ofthe year — that despite giving up two goals, a sign of how tough times have......

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Stuck in neutral

Published: Jun 03, 2008

Washington assistant coach Jessie Kenlawaccurately forecast the Mystics’ slow start last weekend."Before the game she said, ‘I don’t like our warm-ups,’" said Mystics head coach Tree Rollins. "’We don’t look like we’re ready to go.’ She called it from the start."However, maybe it shouldn’t have been that hard to predict, as the Mystics (2-3) have struggled early in every game this season, averaging......

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United still under pressure

Published: May 29, 2008

Although D.C. United escaped from underneath the weight of a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Toronto last weekend. However, game tape revealed something alarmingly familiar: two more opposing goals from counterattacks sparked by defensive letdowns on throw ins.Still in last place in the Eastern Conference with formidable rival New England (6-3-1) its host, United (3-7) must solve its vulnerability......

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Some striking complications

Published: May 28, 2008

D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn said he’s been discouraged by the performance of Argentine forward Franco Niell, who hasn’t made the 18-man available roster for each of United’s last two games. But Soehn may be forced to use him anyway over the coming month, as World Cup qualification matches thin United’s forward ranks."We expected more," said Soehn of Niell, "and it’s not......

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A new sensation

Published: May 28, 2008

It’s an unfamiliar feeling for the Washington Mystics, who have become accustomed to digging themselves out of a hole.After a second straight home win Tuesday night, this time an 80-74 decision over expansion Atlanta, the Mystics (2-2) are playing .500 basketball for the first time since 2006 and talking optimistically about not what once was, but what potentially can be."It’s been a long time," said Continued...

 

Mystics make memories of last year disappear

Published: May 26, 2008

If the Mystics can begin the 2008 season better than the reigning WNBA champions, certainly they also can finally put to rest any talk of last year’s horrendous 0-8 start.With a gritty, 69-66 win over Houston in their home opener in front of an announced crowd of 10,441 at Verizon Center, the Mystics (1-2) have done both."You jump on the Web......

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Sanford’s steady climb solidifies Mystics’ front court

Published: May 22, 2008

Nakia Sanford’s window to win the WNBA’s most improved player award has probably closed now that she’s in her sixth season. But if her performance in the Mystics’ season opener was any indication — 14 points, 11 rebounds — she might think about lobbying for herself just like she did last year."It’s okay [that I didn’t win] because I got the most improved paycheck," said Sanford, who averaged a career-best......

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Bordering on new territory

Published: May 21, 2008

It’s the team nobody wants to play, unbeaten in its last five games, boasting arguably Major League Soccer’s most passionate fans and its toughest home venue, where visiting opponents have scored only once this season.For years that team was D.C. United. But mired in its worst start since its inaugural campaign 12 years ago and with pressure mounting, United (2-6-0) has the added task of being a heavy underdog tonight at......

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The view from the bottom

Published: May 20, 2008

As strange as it may sound, D.C. United might have made progress last weekend. Perhaps that’s because there was no further downward to go.United hit rock bottom with its 3-1 loss to Chivas USA, but things are looking up with three starters — Fred, Devon McTavish and Continued...

 

Washington's Freedom ready to ring again

Published: May 15, 2008

No one at the Washington Freedom is quite ready to believe the Women’s Pro Soccer league will actually exist until the players are lined up in uniform on the field hearing the national anthem before next April’s first match.That said, the 2009 launch of WPS is in the back of everyone’s mind as the 2008 W-League season gets under way. The Freedom won last weekend’s season opener at Long Island, 3-1."It is......

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United stoked for Fire

Published: May 08, 2008

Santino Quaranta knows exactly how to combat the risk of D.C. United’s abysmal road performances seeping into a home match."Just look around," said Quaranta on Wednesday at RFK Stadium. "You just walk out of the tunnel. If that happens, and a guy or two is not doing it, [head coach] Tommy [Soehn] will take him off. I think it’ll be 11 guys tomorrow......

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Volkswagen enters the haus

Published: May 07, 2008

The black 1964 Volkswagen Beetle driven up the narrow access ramp inside RFK Stadium and parked outside D.C. United’s mezzanine-level VIP lounge was immediate and unmistakable. The car, which currently stars in national advertisements, was a sign that the five-year partnership between the team and club announced Tuesday has ushered in a new era for Continued...

 

Olsen says he won’t call it a career

Published: May 07, 2008

D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen has ruled out retirement although he continues to be troubled by lingering ankle problems and may need reconstructive surgery."People kind of got the assumption that I was tanking it, was just going to say it’s not worth it doing the surgery," said Olsen. "I think everybody that knows me knows that I’m a glutton for punishment, and I’ll go through what it takes to get back on......

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United, Volkswagen to join forces today

Published: May 06, 2008

D.C. United will announce a wide-ranging deal with Volkswagen to become the team’s primary sponsor, including the display of its corporate logo on the front of the team’s jersey, at a news conference today in which it will unveil a "presenting partner."Details of the announcement were not released, but The Examiner first reported the potential of an arrangement with Volkswagen last week after a D.C. United player was seen inside Continued...

 

Gomez gears up for Gallardo, United

Published: May 02, 2008

At some level it might always be difficult to understand Christian Gomez’s departure from D.C. United. But United players needn’t focus on the why when they face him for the first time Sunday in Colorado.Instead, they’ve simply got to stop their former teammate, who was a three-time Major League Soccer All-Star and MLS’......

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Is Volkswagen set to sponsor D.C. United?

Published: Apr 30, 2008

A D.C. United player was seen Tuesday inside RFK Stadium wearing a team jersey bearing a Volkswagen logo, which could mean the club is nearing completion of a major sponsorship deal with the German auto manufacturer.United spokesman Doug Hicks refused to comment as no agreement has been officially announced. Volkswagen spokesman Continued...

 

Dyachenko emerges as central figure

Published: Apr 29, 2008

Rod Dyachenko has always done what he’s been asked, even if he hasn’t been successful. After last weekend, it appears what he was being asked might’ve been the problem.For more than two seasons, Dyachenko has been D.C. United’s fill-in attacking midfielder or forward, tasked with shouldering a heavy offensive load, often unsuccessfully, when the team’s big guns are unavailable. His steady production in that role for United’s reserve squad hasn’t translated to......

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United hits the film room

Published: Apr 25, 2008

There was plenty of video evidence.To begin its first full week of uninterrupted training in a month, D.C. United reviewed game tape from last week’s match against Columbus, taking a detailed look at the accumulation of problems that led to a 2-1 loss to the Crew.United (1-3-0, 3 pts) is convinced that the recognition and correction of those breakdowns, which led to their third straight defeat in all competitions, will be just......

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Macklin transfers

Published: Apr 25, 2008

Georgetown announced Thursday that sophomore forward Vernon Macklin decided to transfer.With the graduation of Roy Hibbert this spring, the 6-foot-9 Macklin was set to become the Hoyas’ starting center, but Georgetown also boasts a standout incoming class that includes 6-10 Greg Monroe, the nation’s top recruit according to Rivals.com and Continued...

 

Newbie cut from her coach’s mold

Published: Apr 24, 2008

Mystics head coach Tree Rollins sees himself in his newest acquisition, tenth-year forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who joins her second new team in consecutive seasons following Tuesday's sign-and-trade deal that sent DeLisha Milton-Jones to Los Angeles and earned the Mystics a 2009 first-round draft pick.After......

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D.C. United signs Doe

Published: Apr 23, 2008

D.C. United announced the signing of 22-year-old Liberian forward Francis Doe, completing its current roster allotment of 28 players. Doe, who scored two goals in eight appearances last year with New York, has been training with United since last week after being waived by the Red Bulls. He will be eligible for D.C. once he receives his visa. Doe has played professionally......

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Familiar look

Published: Apr 17, 2008

When it comes to D.C. United’s formation, the temptation right now is to tinker, at least at this point, when there are still 27 games left in the regular season.But despite troubles containing Real Salt Lake with a three-man back line last weekend, United (1-2) appears almost certain to employ a similar formation tonight against visiting Columbus (2-1), at least in part......

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Carroll turns the corner

Published: Apr 16, 2008

Brian Carroll isn’t one to dwell on the past. But it’s difficult to believe the stoic defensive midfielder hasn’t pondered the emotions that will grip him when he takes the field at RFK Stadium as the visitor after growing up with and spending so many seasons as an integral member of D.C. United."I haven’t thought about it that much," said Carroll, a Continued...

 

There’s plenty of blame to go around

Published: Apr 15, 2008

A troubling tendency from D.C. United’s past reared its ugly head during a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Real Salt Lake last weekend.Actually, United’s struggles were many as they extended their winless streak on the road to nine games in all competitions since September 2007: a hangover after their CONCACAF Champions’ Cup defeat, fatigue due to their fifth game in 15 days,......

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Leaving the Beltway to build

Published: Apr 11, 2008

It’s been a little more than six months since Garth Lagerwey up and left his corporate-lawyer life inside the Beltway for a dream job in adream location, general manager for a professional soccer team in Salt Lake City, at the base of the grand and picturesque Wasatch Mountains.But Lagerwey’s barely had a moment to get comfortable in Continued...

 

Mystics choose Langhorne

Published: Apr 10, 2008

The fans who came to The Greene Turtle outside Verizon Center for the Mystics 2008 WNBA Draft party knew there was a good chance their team could land one of two highly-desirable Maryland Terrapins.Thus the cheer was loud and enthusiastic when they learned the Mystics selected Terps 6-foot-2 forward Continued...

 

Not too much to ask

Published: Apr 09, 2008

Zach Wells knows Pachuca isn’t invincible. The former Dynamo goalkeeper saw his old team score against them twice in each of two visits to Houston’s Robertson Stadium last year.It’s an encouraging sign for D.C. United, which enters the second leg of......

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Offsides rule faces a new offensive

Published: Apr 08, 2008

Joe Machnik’s joking suggestion shows how badly Major League Soccer wants to give attacking players an appropriate advantage when it comes to offsides this season."I’d like to think we would put maybe 10- or 20-pound weights on some of these [assistant referees’] flags, make them a little bit harder to raise," said Machnik, Major League Soccer’s assistant to the commissioner’s office for on-field competition, other wise known as head......

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Toronto bucks MLS’ growing Latino trend

Published: Apr 04, 2008

Who knows what Toronto FC will look like by the time rookie head coach John Carver selects his first eleven to face D.C. United this weekend.While nearly every Major League Soccer team has looked to Central and South America......

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Larranaga sticking with Patriots

Published: Apr 03, 2008

George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga has signed a three-year contract extension with the Patriots, turning down a move to Providence College, his alma mater.Larranaga, who interviewed with Providence officials earlier this week, is now slated to remain in Fairfax......

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Raising its game for Pachuca

Published: Apr 01, 2008

D.C. United’s regular-season opener at Kansas City proved to be every bit the distraction that it threatened to be. All that’s left for United is to prove the value of sacrificing a result against the Wizards to focus on tonight’s first leg of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup semifinals.D.C. is confident despite going winless in its last three trips to Continued...

 

Immigration refined

Published: Mar 27, 2008

D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff doesn’t speak Spanish. But this season he’s learned the Spanish words for right and left — derecho and izquierdo — as well as he knows them in English.He better.On the eve of Major League Soccer’s 13th year, Latin Americans, such as United’s five South American signings this past offseason, have become the face of......

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MLS to United: It may be time to move

Published: Mar 26, 2008

With numerous District of Columbia dignitaries in attendance at D.C. United’s kickoff luncheon Tuesday, it seemed the perfect occasion to advance the team’s push for a deal with the city to build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point.But afterward the event’s keynote speaker, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber,......

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Georgetown’s still got game

Published: Mar 25, 2008

Perhaps if Jeff Green hadn’t turned pro, Georgetown’s heralded senior class — the first one recruited by head coach John ThompsonIII — might have been five players instead of four, and might have a legacy that includes not just one, but two Final Fours.But just as many Georgetown fans are left wondering what could have been with Green still......

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United roster near completion

Published: Mar 25, 2008

With five days remaining before their 2008 regular-season opener, D.C. United’s 28-man roster is almost complete.United is on the verge of signing Brazilian forward Cezar Hermenegildo to a senior-roster spot, and the team also expects to complete a developmental deal with rookie Dane Murphy (Virginia). Second-year forward Continued...

 

In a familiar place far away

Published: Mar 24, 2008

George Washington is technically the underdog against California in tonight’s NCAA second round. On top of that, the Colonials also essentially are the visitors against the Bears, playing just down the road from their home in Berkeley. But the Colonials (26-6) have been here before — their current senior......

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Hoyas broken by the glass?

Published: Mar 21, 2008

Six-foot-four Jessie Sapp is Georgetown’s top rebounding guard, and he can’t explain why. "I don’t know how I get the ball sometimes," said the junior guard, who’s also tied for third on the team at 4.2 boards per game.Nevertheless, Sapp and the Hoyas appeared to have solved their nagging problems on the glass down the stretch during the regular season. But the issue that plagued them over the first half......

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The Bears awaken again

Published: Mar 20, 2008

You can take Scott Drew out of Indiana. But you can’t take the Indiana out of Scott Drew.Having lifted Baylor from the ashes of scandal to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 20 years, Drew has become the darling of central Texas. But it’s Hoosier State blood that still......

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Patriots undaunted by second act

Published: Mar 19, 2008

Perhaps a little reminder is in order: double-digit, lower-seeded teams aren’t supposed to win first round games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They’re especially not supposed to go to the Final Four, as George Mason did two seasons ago.Yet, one would be hard-pressed to find a more precocious No. 12 than this year’s Patriots (23-10), who......

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American’s underdog dilemma

Published: Mar 18, 2008

It’s not about playing with nothing to lose. It’s about playing with everything to lose.It could’ve been said that American was at its lowest point of the year and stood only to gain when it faced Maryland back on Dec. 22. The Eagles hadn’t beaten the Terrapins in 14 games over 80 years, and despite leading at halftime in 10 of 11 games to that point in the season,......

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A return to greener pastures

Published: Mar 18, 2008

D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn said Monday that the RFK Stadium field will probably be in the best shape he’s ever seen once it’s mowed and lined ahead of tonight’s second leg of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinals against Harbour View FC."It’s awesome compared to what we had to play......

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Dance cards are filled

Published: Mar 17, 2008

The packed crowd of students at Leo J. O’Donovan dining hall at Georgetown exploded in cheers of elation and relief when the Hoyas were revealed as a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region for this year’s NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.The Hoyas hardly flinched."A lot of teams [on TV], I saw them jumping up and down," said......

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United’s schedule announced for SuperLiga tournament

Published: Mar 14, 2008

D.C. United will renew its rivalry with CD Guadalajara (Chivas) and take on current title-holders from Major League Soccer and the Mexican First Division in the second edition of SuperLiga, a competition between top clubs from the United States and Continued...

 

Flying to new heights

Published: Mar 14, 2008

While some conference tournaments can call for as many as four games in four days, American has had nearly a week — five days, on an empty campus, no less, as many students are gone for Spring Break — to prepare for today’s Patriot League final against visiting Colgate."I did call out some of my friends, let them know that they could possibly be missing history," said Continued...

 

Hoyas expect to hold on

Published: Mar 13, 2008

Of course Jonathan Wallace was supposed to take the game-winning shot for Georgetown with the Big East regular-season title on the line last weekend against Louisville. He’s the Hoyas’ senior leader and a premier 3-point specialist who’s started every game of his college career.But Wallace had other ideas. He......

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AU’s Simon will miss Patriot final

Published: Mar 13, 2008

American junior small forward Bryce Simon will miss the Patriot League championship against Colgate on Friday after suffering a knee injury in last weekend’s semifinal win over Army."I just don’t see how it’s going to happen," said Eagles head coach Continued...

 

Unfamiliar but still United

Published: Mar 12, 2008

Only two starters from D.C. United’s last two-game series against Jamaican club Harbour View FC are currently with the team for its latest trip to Kingston.It was three years ago that United last played Harbour View, earning successive 2-1 victories — both home and away. But tonight’s first leg in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinals is expected to be the premier of......

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Hibbert a unanimous All-Big East pick

Published: Mar 11, 2008

Georgetown prides itself on being a team that can’t be figured out by just looking at statistics.But the Big East Conference’s coaches all agree on what makes the Hoyas such a force, naming Georgetown senior center Roy Hibbert to the All-Big East first-team for the second consecutive season, the league announced Monday.Despite being ranked 19th in the conference in......

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Patriots ground Seahawks

Published: Mar 10, 2008

The first time George Mason played North Carolina Wilmington this season, the Seahawks scored repeatedly by feeding the ball into the post, where 6-foot-10 Vladimir Kuljanin and his low post colleagues could deliver the ball to teammates slicing to the basket. In the rematch, the Continued...

 

United signs veteran Quaranta to contract

Published: Mar 07, 2008

Just a week after rejoining D.C. United on trial, midfielder Santino Quaranta has been signed by the team where he began his career seven years ago.Quaranta, 23, becomes a member of United’s senior roster, where he is expected to make less than the six-figure salary he was earning before being waived by New York earlier this offseason.The Baltimore-native was the......

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Rice is done at GW

Published: Mar 07, 2008

Maureece Rice was dismissed from the George Washington men’s basketball team after failing to adhere to team rules, the school announced prior to the Colonials’ game at Charlotte on Thursday.Rice, who did not travel with the team to North Carolina on Wednesday, was suspended twice for single games during......

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A whole new Ewing

Published: Mar 07, 2008

He shares the same name with Georgetown basketball’s most important alum — his father — but Patrick Ewing Jr. has never been entitled to a thing.He’s always been saddled with the expectations of being his father’s son, and the endless grief it’s engendered from fans at away games is hardly a new experience. He also had to prove himself to head coach Continued...

 

United deep in the heart of Texas

Published: Mar 05, 2008

D.C. United hopes to make a positive impression on the soccer scene in South Texas when it takes the field tonight in the first of its three matches at the Texas Pro Soccer Festival at Steele High in Cebolo, a suburb of San Antonio.But with their first official game of the season exactly one week away, United is likely to use mostly reserves in its festival contests. The first team,......

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A growing presence in the Eagles’ nest

Published: Mar 05, 2008

Bryce Simon wasn’t sure about his team or the Patriot League coming into this season. But then, upon further review, neither were the conference’s coaches.After getting picked fifth in the conference preseason coaches’ poll, American (18-11, 10-4) begins the postseason against Holy Cross (15-13, 5-9) as the regular-season champion and the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament, with crucial home court advantage on its side. At the other end......

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Desperate for a do-over

Published: Feb 29, 2008

It’s strange for Santino Quaranta to look at D.C. United’s latest crop of rookies, all fresh out of college and hopeful to make it as a professional soccer player.Most are barely a year or two younger than Quaranta, who at 23 already has seven seasons in Major League Soccer. Yet like his unseasoned teammates, Quaranta is on trial with......

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Hoyas are still stacked in attack

Published: Feb 22, 2008

Georgetown couldn’t ask for much more than for this season to begin just like the last one.The Hoyas ended a three-year drought against Maryland in their 2007 season-opener, a victory they then used as a springboard en route to its seventh Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in nine years and another Continued...

 

No holiday for Hoyas

Published: Feb 18, 2008

Thanks to a fourth disheartening road loss and a win by Louisville over the weekend, Georgetown relinquished its solitary hold on first place in the Big East for the first time this season. The Hoyas (20-4, 10-3) have the same conference record as the Cardinals (20-6, 10-3), but Louisville owns the tiebreaker thanks to its win over Georgetown on Feb. 9.By the end of the day, the Hoyas also could fall out of the national top 10 — they’ve been ranked no lower than No. 9 this year — and......

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United is poised to make a move

Published: Feb 15, 2008

Even as D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty assured reporters at a Thursday news conference that no deal has yet been made with D.C. United, the team began to clarify the role it would play in a proposed partnership with the city to build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point."We’re getting close in these negotiations, and we are very committed, specifically to Ward 8," said Continued...

 

United gets the ultimate Valentine’s gift

Published: Feb 14, 2008

In a dramatic turnaround, the District of Columbia government has dropped its long-held resistance to a stadium for D.C. United and instead will announce today that it plans to contribute funds for the construction of a 27,000-seat arena at Poplar Point, the Examiner has learned.The district will pay between $150-230 million to build a soccer-specific stadium — which will keep D.C. United from moving to the suburbs — on top of $236 million to subsidize infrastructure improvements, The stadium plan will be part of an announcement today of the selection......

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Wallace, Hoyas scratch out ugly one over ‘Cats

Published: Feb 12, 2008

Jonathan Wallace ended a three-game shooting slump and hit his biggest free throws of the season to help No. 8 Georgetown stay unbeaten at Verizon Center this season (13-0) and hold off Villanova, 55-53, in front of 17,575.Scottie Reynolds (Herndon......

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Olsen in jeopardy for United opener

Published: Feb 12, 2008

D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen is struggling to recover from offseason surgery and is increasingly likely to miss United’s first official match of the season. "Not good" was the way Olsen described his progress after December surgery to remove bone spurs in both of his ankles. He’s likely to undergo additional minor surgery this week to help speed his rehabilitation. The 30-year-old scored a career-high seven goals last year but......

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Good times, bad times

Published: Feb 11, 2008

The Georgetown Hoyas enter another tough Big East matchup tonight, hosting Villanova. Following a road loss to Louisville on Saturday, the Hoyas are hoping to rebound by continuing their unbeaten streak on their home court. All three Georgetown losses this season have come on the road.The song remains the......

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Beckham will be back in June

Published: Feb 08, 2008

D.C. United will be featured in a nationally-televised doubleheader with the European championship final and will go the entire month of July without a league match during its 2008 regular-season schedule announced Thursday.Jaime Moreno and United will host David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy at noon on June 29. The game will......

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Hoyas ride Summers to victory over Bulls

Published: Feb 06, 2008

The combination of a lackluster opponent and a subdued midweek Verizon Center crowd nearly caused Super Tuesday to go super bad for listless Georgetown. But thanks to a career-high 24 points and nine rebounds from DaJuan Summers, the sixth-ranked Hoyas managed a harder-than-it-should’ve-been 63-53 win over Big East cellar......

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Hoyas are the big dog in the Big East

Published: Feb 05, 2008

With the first half of the Big East Conference schedule complete, Georgetown couldn’t ask to be in a better position. The sixth-ranked Hoyas (18-2, 8-1), who host the South Florida Bulls (10-12, 1-8) tonight, possess at least a two-game lead over every team in the league — including second-place Continued...

 

GW landmark

Published: Feb 01, 2008

It’s the landmark closest to George Washington’s campus in Foggy Bottom. But on his first day as the Colonials women’s basketball coach back in September of 1989, Joe McKeown couldn’t find the Lincoln Memorial, where he was supposed to meet his new team for a 6 a.m. workout."I couldn’t find it," said McKeown who came to GW after three......

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Top draft pick spurns United

Published: Jan 31, 2008

Andrew Jacobson, D.C. United’s top pick in the 2008 college draft, has rejected Major League Soccer in favor of the French first division.Jacobson, 22, has signed a contract with FC Lorient through the end of the current season, a decision confirmed by his family in Continued...

 

Gallardo focused on winning

Published: Jan 30, 2008

The Latino flair synonymous with D.C. United of late matters little to Marcelo Gallardo. The Argentine playmaker made it clear Tuesday his decision to come to Washington was about winning."At the end of the day I didn’t base my decision on having other players from South America on the team," Gallardo......

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Hoyas storm into New York

Published: Jan 30, 2008

There may not be much separation between first-place Georgetown and the rest of the Big East contenders. The Hoyas are the only team with just one conference loss, but eight have either two or three losses. Still, the sixth-ranked Hoyas (16-2, 6-1 Big East) are comfortably ahead of St. John’s (7-11, 1-6), which has struggled in conference......

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Thomas, Patriots prove tougher than Rams

Published: Jan 30, 2008

George Mason snapped a three-game losing streak to Virginia Commonwealth and extended its undefeated home record to 10-0 with a 63-51 win over the Rams in front of 7,912 passionate fans at Patriot Center.In a performance worthy of a senior who will go down as one of the best ever to play for the Continued...

 

Maynor is VCU’s main man

Published: Jan 29, 2008

Despite the popular notion, Eric Maynor’s defining performance of last season wasn’t his upset takedown of Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.It was the game before, when the Virginia Commonwealth point guard ruthlessly stole the Colonial Athletic Association championship from Continued...

 

United designate Gallardo

Published: Jan 29, 2008

D.C. United introduced four of five new Latin American players followingits first practice of the 2008 season, saving the last and biggest addition for his own moment in the spotlight.Marcelo Gallardo will be presented today as D.C. United’s first Designated Player and the sixth in Major League Soccer. The 32-year-old Argentine playmaker and two-time World Cup veteran has played......

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More additions are on the way for D.C. United

Published: Jan 25, 2008

D.C. United continued its busy week of adding players by re-signing forward Jaime Moreno and drafting three more former college players. The trend appears far from finished before the team begins the 2008 preseason next week.Moreno, Major League Soccer’s all-time leading scorer with 112 career goals, returns after inking what United general manager Continued...

 

Hoyas’ guard Wright is likely done for the year

Published: Jan 25, 2008

It appears that Georgetown freshman guard Chris Wright (St. John’s College High) injured his ankle two games too late. He was essentially ruled out for the remainder of season by head coach John Thompson III on Thursday."In my head I have to proceed as if he’s......

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Patriots overthrow Monarchs

Published: Jan 24, 2008

The magic didn’t last for Dre Smith. It didn’t need to.George Mason used a combined 30 first-half points from Folarin Campbell and John Vaughan to run away from Old Dominion, 86-53, in front of 5,808 at Continued...

 

Patriots’ Smith making his mark in closely contested CAA

Published: Jan 23, 2008

Being included in ESPN analyst Jay Bilas’ weekly honor roll and named Colonial Athletic Association player of the week were fantastic for Dre Smith after his 10-for-10 outing from the 3-point line last weekend at James Madison.But the......

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Hibbert, Hoyas hold off Syracuse in OT, 64-62

Published: Jan 22, 2008

Syracuse freshman guard Jonny Flynn scored a game-high 24 points but was held without a basket from the nine-minute mark of the second half, including a missed game-winning 3-point attempt at the overtime buzzer that allowed No. 9 Georgetown to escape with a 64-62 victory in front of sellout crowd of 20,035 at Continued...

 

Despite the cold, Hoyas offense growing warmer

Published: Jan 21, 2008

It’s deep in the heart of winter, but John Thompson III is giving grilling lessons.The Georgetown head coach’s latest cooking class took place over the weekend as the Hoyas snapped out of a worrying 3-point shooting funk. Georgetown had hit just 16.1 percent (5 of 31) attempts from behind the arc in three straight halves — the entire game in a loss at Continued...

 

Arguez is making the jump to Germany

Published: Jan 18, 2008

Although he didn’t make a single first-team appearance as a rookie, D.C. United midfielder Bryan Arguez is set to make a jump to German Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin.The two clubs are in the final stages of completing a deal for the 19-year old midfielder, said Continued...

 

MLS SuperDraft: the best of the rest

Published: Jan 18, 2008

It’s Major League Soccer’s biggest event of the offseason. Think of it like the Golden Globes: a highly anticipated yearly tradition, but one that is an imperfect predictor of the future and notable lately for superstars who declined to take part.Presenting the 2008 MLS SuperDraft today in Baltimore, where the league’s newest crop of players with potential will be selected.Ghanaian forward Continued...

 

United close to making deals with Latino trio

Published: Jan 15, 2008

D.C. United is on the verge of adding three Latin American players, according to South American media reports.The club is close to reaching deals with Argentinian forward Franco Niell, Colombian defender Gonzalo Martínez, and Peruvian goalkeeper Jose Carvallo.Niell, 24, is a 5-foot-4, 143-pound forward from Argentinos Juniors. Martínez, 30, is......

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Hoyas are hitting it big

Published: Jan 14, 2008

Jonathan Wallace has started every game of his four-year career at Georgetown, a stretch in which he’s become the Hoyas all-time leader in 3-point shots, eclipsing Kevin Braswell’s mark of 189 two weeksago against Fordham.Not once in Wallace’s 115 games prior to Connecticut last weekend did the senior guard ever......

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No. 17 Colonials look poised in A-10 opener

Published: Jan 14, 2008

George Washington’s first national television appearance of the season in November was an eminently forgettable one, as the Colonials were thoroughly embarrassed in a 25-point loss to then-No. 4 Rutgers in front of a packed Smith Center.The Colonials looked much more composed the second time around Sunday afternoon, going nearly 18 minutes to open the game without a turnover......

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United CEO Payne undergoes quadruple bypass surgery

Published: Jan 04, 2008

D.C. United president and chief executive officer Kevin Payne is recovering at Fairfax Inova Hospital after undergoing six-hour, quadruple bypass surgery on Thursday. Payne, 54, suffered a mild stroke in October, and resulting testing last month led to the planned procedure. He is expected to return to work in February.United midfielder Continued...

 

Freeman, Wright to join Rose in bloom?

Published: Dec 21, 2007

Have you seen Derrick Rose?Who hasn’t?"You see him everywhere," said Georgetown senior center Roy Hibbert of the spectacular Memphis freshman point guard. "On the cover of ESPN the Magazine, like that. He’s a really good player."Rose and the second-ranked Tigers (9-0) have played in five nationally-televised games this season on ESPN......

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Colonials teed up for Texas A&M

Published: Dec 20, 2007

The George Washington women’s basketball team began the year with their highest preseason ranking ever and fully intending to prove they were unfairly denied a top-four seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.But after choking at home against Rutgers and then losing two straight in November, the Colonials now are merely trying to salvage momentum before the non-conference......

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Colonials ready for restart

Published: Dec 18, 2007

George Washington’s two-game losing streak last month is fading from memory. But it’s been so long since the Colonials have played, so too are two straight wins following that skid.With their vanquished opponent in last year’s NCAA second round, No. 12 Texas A&M, coming to town and seeking revenge Thursday, the Colonials hope to start where......

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Cuff runs a familiar play for Delaware

Published: Dec 14, 2007

It’s nearly impossible to talk about Omar Cuff without mentioning the Philadelphia Eagles’ Brian Westbrook.They’re both from Prince George’s County. They both have had record-setting careers at running back in the lower tier of Division I football, Westbrook at Continued...

 

Kenworthy kicks his way out of anonymity

Published: Dec 14, 2007

When Stuart Kenworthy watched Appalachian State upset Michigan at the beginning of the season, as a punter, he took note of the Mountaineers’ two blocked kicks. The Delaware junior didn’t figure it would the same special teams......

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Foreign influence on Hokies’ first Final Four

Published: Dec 13, 2007

Georg Zehender didn’t realize what a good soccer team he had joined. Newly arrived at Virginia Tech this fall from his native Germany, he was still dealing with the simple necessities of life in Blacksburg, namely, speaking English. It may have diverted the midfielder’s attention from the history the Hokies were......

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United makes some defensive turnovers

Published: Dec 13, 2007

Two significant members of D.C. United’s defense over the past three seasons, goalkeeper Troy Perkins and defender Bobby Boswell, are on their way out of Washington in the first major moves of the Major League Soccer offseason, both of which were in part initiated by the players themselves.Perkins, in principle,......

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Shift ahead for Hoyas

Published: Dec 10, 2007

The souped-up version of this year’s Georgetown may be unfamiliar to those who have become accustomed to the slow-and-steady style that has become synonymous with John Thompson III since he took over as head coach four years ago. Better get used to it.The fifth-ranked Hoyas shifted into new, higher gear in front of 8,216 on Sunday at Verizon Center,......

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Campbell helps Patriots ward off Pirates, 57-54

Published: Dec 06, 2007

George Mason senior swingman Folarin Campbell scored 16 points as the Patriots held off Hampton, 57-54 Wednesday night at Patriot Center.Campbell, who had been benched midway through the first half of an upset loss to East Carolina on Sunday at......

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Hibbert’s got to get help

Published: Dec 05, 2007

With Georgetown ahead by a slim four-point margin late last weekend against Fairfield, Hoyas guard Jeremiah Rivers reminded center Roy Hibbert during a timeout that despite the defense’s inevitable collapse on him in the middle, he still had options."I told Roy, ‘When you get the ball, I’m cutting. They’re going to......

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Wins have Pirates sailing

Published: Dec 05, 2007

The Mid Eastern Athletic Conference champion has been relegated to the NCAA Tournament’s opening round, or "play-in game," in three of the seven years the game has existed, leading to the portrayal of the MEAC and it’s low Ratings Percentage Index as victims of an unfair system requiring teams to go on the road to play and often lose to bigger and more elite programs.Continued...

 

GW Colonials losing ground

Published: Dec 03, 2007

Facing one the biggest rebuilding tasks of his seven seasons at George Washington, head coach Karl Hobbs knew he would have to be patient. But it was difficult for him to mask his frustrations Sunday after the young and inexperienced Colonials committed 21 turnovers and played sparse defense en route to their third straight defeat, a 74-70 loss to Auburn in the 2007 BB&T Classic opener at Verizon Center."I think that we’re just not very good ball handlers," said Hobbs, who has just one senior on his roster, Maureece Rice......

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Pirates steal Patriots plunder

Published: Dec 03, 2007

For one weekend in 2006, Verizon Center was a lucky charm for George Mason, which won there twice during its storybook run to the Final Four. But in two BB&T Classic games since, it’s more like a curse.Although the Patriots didn’t get rattled Sunday, even after spotting lightly-regarded East Carolina a 14-point first-half lead, they never showed the kind of consistency and execution that had them off the best start in program history, falling short against the Pirates, 68-65."Since [the 2006 NCAA Tournament] we’ve played here twice and have yet......

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Patriots mightily slay Dragons

Published: Nov 30, 2007

George Mason radiated so much confidence Thursday that even 6-foot-7 forward Will Thomas, normally an anchored fixture in the low post, was seen self-assuredly dribbling the ball up court after defensive rebounds twice in the first half.It was that kind of night for the Patriots (6-1, 1-0 Colonial AthleticAssociation), who kept pace with the best start in program history by thoroughly embarrassing Drexel (5-2, 0-1), 85-38, in both teams’ conference opener in front of 7,121 at Patriot Center."I’m not easily impressed," said Patriots head coach Jim Larranaga. "But the kind......

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It’s not a long way home for Mason freshman

Published: Nov 29, 2007

It’s difficult for Cam Long to say where he’s from. But it’s clear he’s finding a home with the Patriots.The George Mason freshman guard grew up an hour southeast of Orlando in Palm Bay, Fla., before spending his final three years of high school at Freedom in Woodbridge."When somebody asks me, sometimes I switch it up," said Long. "I’ll say Virginia, but sometimes I’ll say Florida. I use both answers.""I think he’s from both places," said Patriots coach Jim Larranaga, who can happily hedge his comments with two Florida natives......

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Colonials hobble into Harrisonburg

Published: Nov 27, 2007

Two solid wins have helped the George Washington women bounce back from last week’s demoralizing loss to No. 5 Rutgers. But the Colonials (5-1) continue to face a barrage of early-season obstacles, the most recent being injuries to starters Antelia Parrish (McNamara High) and Whitney Allen (Woodbridge High).Both Parrish (ankle) and Allen (finger) are listed as questionable for tonight’s visit at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va."Antelia is day-to-day," said Colonials head coach Joe McKeown. "Whitney’s probably a little bit longer than that."In their absence, reserves Jazmine Adair (Anacostia High), Lisa......

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Mason dining with the big boys

Published: Nov 22, 2007

It’s similar to preparing one’s stomach for the rigors of a climactic Thanksgiving feast with a regimen of increasing portion sizes and larger meals leading up to the holiday itself.George Mason has built its first 3-0 start since the 1980-81 season on a steady diet of wins over teams from America East, Horizon League and Atlantic-10 conferences. Each victory was a bigger step toward the Patriots’ main meal tonight at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, No. 18 Kansas State of the Big 12."In each game, we’ve increased our level......

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D.C. loses Carroll in expansion draft

Published: Nov 22, 2007

After growing up and spending his first five professional seasons in the Washington area, D.C. United midfielder Brian Carroll is on his way to California, at least for now, as one of 10 players selected by the San Jose Earthquakes in Wednesday’s expansion draft.But if history is any indicator, Carroll’s final destination for the 2008 season is far from secure. None of the ten players selected by Toronto FC in last year’s expansion draft currently remain with the Canadian franchise, and only three of 20 total players chosen by Real......

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Family matters cloud Hoyas’ road opener

Published: Nov 21, 2007

Like it or not, the Georgetown men’s basketball team’s first road game at Ball State on Wednesday will be overshadowed by off-court circumstances. Both teams’ head coaches and administrative staffs would rather just get it over with.It was supposed to be a meeting between Georgetown’s John Thompson III and his brother, Ronny Thompson, at Ball State. The Hoyas won, 69-54, when the two met last year at Verizon Center. Things are quite different this time around following Ronny Thompson’s acrimonious resignation last summer, a situation that apparently has soured the......

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Dynamo becomes a MLS dynasty

Published: Nov 19, 2007

Six months apart, the Houston Dynamo experienced the lowest and highest points of their 2007 season at RFK Stadium. After allowing a first half New England goal early Sunday afternoon in Washington, the Dynamo rallied to score twice after halftime, capturing a 2-1 victory and their second consecutive MLS Cup, both at the expense of the Revolution."I think it proved how strong of a team we are," said Dynamo midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, the game’s most valuable player, who nodded in the game-winning goal in the 74th minute on a......

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Emilio’s good value is most valuable

Published: Nov 16, 2007

Major League Soccer’s 12th season was dominated by the arrival of high-priced international players. But D.C. United’s comparatively economical Brazilian import proved to be the best, as forward Luciano Emilio was named the league’s most valuable player Thursday at ESPN Zone.Emilio, 28, finished the year with a league-high 20 goals and one assist, the first MLS to reach the 20-mark since 2002."I am surprised because Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Juan Pablo Angel are very good international players," said Emilio of the award’s two other finalists. "I am so happy."This weekend Emilio......

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Hoyas learning to lean on Hibbert

Published: Nov 15, 2007

Georgetown senior guard Jonathan Wallace smiled when asked about the Hoyas’ 17 three-point attempts in the first half of their season-opening win over William & Mary, shots kindly referred to by head coach John Thompson III as "too many.""We had the open shots, and we’ve got guys on the team who can make those," said Wallace, who then gestured to 7-foot-2 All-American center Roy Hibbert (Georgetown Prep) standing beside him. "At the same time, we’ve got a big presence down low."Georgetown made the appropriate adjustments, feeding Hibbert for 12 of......

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Vaughan’s key block launches Mason to win

Published: Nov 14, 2007

George Mason redshirt junior guard John Vaughan began theseason with one career block. But for the second straight game this fall, Vaughan made a key second-half rejection from behind on an opposing fast break, sparking the Patriots to a 56-47 victory over Cleveland State in front of 4,127 at Patriot Center.The victory gave head coach Jim Larranaga his first 2-0 start in 11 seasons at George Mason.Vaughan, who tied Will Thomas with a team-high 18 points, made the block during a game-changing sequence midway through the second half with the......

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Transfers leading the way for Colonials

Published: Nov 14, 2007

Two newcomers to Foggy Bottom have paced the George Washington men’s and women’s basketball teams in the early going, and neither of them are freshmen.The Colonials women boast four returning starters and 11 letter winners from last year’s Sweet 16 team. But it is Antelia Parrish, a junior transfer from Prince George’s Community College, who is leading the charge by averaging 17.5 points and nine rebounds per game — including her first double-double as a Colonial in Monday’s 70-68 win at Virginia.Parrish, a 6-foot forward who played high school ball......

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Patriots aiming for a 2-0 start

Published: Nov 13, 2007

It doesn't seem fair for a 6-foot-10 freshman to get razzed by his teammates after missing two 3-pointers. But that was the only criticism, and a minor one at that, for George Mason forward Vlad Moldoveanu after he collected nine rebounds and five points in 25 minutes during the Patriots' season-opening 60-53 win over Vermont."Heck of a debut," said Patriots head coach Jim Larranaga. "[Moldoveanu] is a very good 3-point shooter as well. The shots he took were all good, in rhythm. But his defense and rebounding, something that we've......

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Patriots centered for opener

Published: Nov 08, 2007

Could it be that George Mason has finally ascended from lowly mid-major status to bona fide power? For the first time since 1996, the Patriots willbegin the season with three straight home games."It feels like we’re Duke," said guard Folarin Campbell, referring to last year’s Blue Devils, who played 12 of their first 15 games at Cameron Indoor Stadium — the other three were at neutral sites.Vermont’s visit Friday will be just second time in head coach Jim Larranaga’s 11 seasons with George Mason that he’s opened the year at......

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Former Terp Edu named MLS rookie of the year

Published: Nov 08, 2007

Toronto FC and former Maryland midfielder Maurice Edu was named Major League Soccer rookie of the year and Chivas USA head coach Preki was named coach of the year.Edu, an All-American with the Terrapins, became the first No. 1 overall draft pick to earn the honor in MLS’ 12-year history. Edu, 21, started 25 matches, recording four goals and one assist for the first-year Canadian franchise.Preki, in his first season as a head coach, guided Chivas to their best finish in the club’s three-year history. The 44-year-old has been a......

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United fails to put out Fire

Published: Nov 02, 2007

D.C. United’s 2007 campaign was set up as the ultimate insurance for all that had gone wrong in 2005 and 2006, when regular season triumphs didn’t equate to playoff success.But while United did everything right for most of April through September, October and the postseason again proved cruel. Already down 1-0 entering the second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, United allowed Chicago to score two quick, deflating first-half goals and continue its postseason mastery of D.C., denying United a victory for the sixth time in seven playoff meetings with......

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American not yet NCAA-bound

Published: Nov 02, 2007

If it weren’t already difficult for the American field hockey team, which has lost in the NCAA Tournament to a finalist or champion in three of the last four seasons, this year another hurdle has been added to their national title quest.But first the Eagles have to make it through a postseason prelude, the Patriot League Tournament, where they are favorites to capture a fifth-straight title."What I really like about this team is that we don’t rely on one or two players to carry the team," said Eagles head coach......

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King Henrik crowns Caps with shutout

Published: Nov 02, 2007

It is a storyline all too familiar in recent weeks for the Capitals. They received solid goaltending from Olie Kolzig, kept defensive mistakes to a minimum and had a golden chance to leave New York with a rare victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.But, fielding a lineup again missing three key players, the offensive struggles continued for the Caps during a 2-0 loss. Rangers forward Chris Drury scored the game’s first goal in the second period. But New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist was the star of the night,......

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United players are plenty stoked for Fire

Published: Nov 01, 2007

With plot lines multiple and varied, it’s the kind of game professional athletes thrive on, said D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn."The only bad part is I can’t play," said Soehn. "... I think we’re so ready for the game, I think there’s an anxiety to get to game time, but that’s about it."In tonight’s second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals, United, the best team in Major League Soccer all season, has its back against the wall, down one goal-to-none against Chicago, the hottest team in the league.D.C. needs......

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It’s Tech vs. Tech tonight in Atlanta

Published: Nov 01, 2007

Three keys to a Hokies victory1. No Choice but to stop the run.Georgia Tech leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 219.0 yards per game, but it’ll be without its two top running backs, ACC-leader Tashard Choice (864 yards, 7 TDs) and Rashaun Grant (231 yards, 1 TDs), both of whom were injured Oct. 20. That leaves the Hokies, with the nation’s 10th-ranked rushing defense, to make big plays on sophomore Jamaal Evans and freshman Jonathan Dwyer (370 yards combined).2. Make the right decision at quarterback. The Yellow Jackets are as......

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History favors United as team faces must-win game on Thursday

Published: Oct 30, 2007

D.C. United isn’t alone.Down 1-0 after the first game of their MLS Eastern Conference semifinal series against Chicago, United faces a must-win situation Thursday when the Fire visit RFK Stadium. But so do two of the three remaining higher seeds, and history is on their side."I don’t think I’m entirely surprised," said United defender Greg Vanney. "What you have is the lower seeds battling up until the end of the season to get into the playoffs. They’re in a rhythm, and they get to play at home. Everything is in......

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Dan Patrick returns — on his own terms

Published: Oct 26, 2007

ESPN is a network en fuego. Dan Patrick, who coined the catch phrase as a SportsCenter anchor, is a big reason why. But after 18 years with the Worldwide Leader, Patrick left in August to build his own brand. He joined the Chicago-based Content Factory, which is syndicating his radio show, and last week he announced a deal with Sports Illustrated. But don’t let that fool you; Patrick is now his own boss. While in Washington on Thursday to say thanks to WTEM 980 AM, one of the first stations......

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With Moreno, Emilio sidelined, United falls behind early

Published: Oct 26, 2007

With at least 180 minutes of soccer to play in a two-game Eastern Conference semifinal against Chicago, D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn hedged his bets in Thursday night’s series opener, starting with his top two forwards, both coming off injuries, on the bench.Although both played in the second half, the move didn’t work out for United, which lost to Chicago, 1-0.It was the first time all season that Jaime Moreno (foot) and Luciano Emilio (ankle) were both out of the starting lineup.Playing with a steady wind at their backs......

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A tricky Fire to put out

Published: Oct 25, 2007

Bryan Namoff has played alongside a number of outstanding defenders with D.C. United.The list begins with Ryan Nelsen, an irreplaceable member of United’s 2004 championship team and now captain at Blackburn Rovers, and now includes Bobby Boswell, the 2005 Major League Soccer defender of the year, and Greg Vanney, a former U.S. international with nearly 12 years of professional experience.But it was Namoff, with more minutes played (2,089) than any other member of the back line this season, who was named the 2007 defender of the year at United’s awards......

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2007 MLS playoff preview

Published: Oct 24, 2007

Eastern Conference semifinalsD.C. United vs. Chicago FireStoryline » The marquee match-up of the first round — both games of the series will on ESPN2 — featuring the league’s best team, United, facing off against the league’s hottest team and the one nobody wants to face, Chicago.Key matchup » Fire F Chad Barrett vs. United D Greg VanneyBarrett’s play has improved of late, but his finishing has been atrocious. He’s got to score for Chicago to have a chance. Vanney, acquired midseason, is the steady veteran D.C. needed to solidify it’s......

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United’s burning desire: change history vs. Fire

Published: Oct 23, 2007

The Chicago game tapes have remained close at hand for D.C. United, and not just because the two teams have faced each other twice in the last month."I’ve saved a lot of edits in case we’d face them because I think the likelihood was pretty strong that we were," said United head coach Tom Soehn. "It gives us a chance to break them down, instead not just with the opponent, but with ourselves, what can we do different."United has lost to Chicago every time the teams have met in the......

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Maynor, George Mason, vie for starring roles

Published: Oct 18, 2007

Last year the Colonial Athletic Association media day darling was one team, George Mason, which was coming off a magical run to the Final Four.This year it was one player, Virginia Commonwealth guard Eric Maynor, who propelled the Rams and the CAA into the national spotlight with a conference tournament title and an upset of Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament."The thing I remember most is Eric Maynor’s two steals because we were in complete control of the game with just under two minutes to go," said......

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United’s offense top-heavy as postseason looms

Published: Oct 17, 2007

D.C. United is the first team in Major League Soccer’s 12-year history to have five different players score at least seven goals. But those five players carry a larger share of the offense than any group on any team in the league, and United has struggled when they’ve been out of the lineup.Even though United has scored a league-high 54 goals, it has the fewest number of players on its current roster to have scored this season in league play (nine), and it also is tied for the fewest number......

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This year’s Supporters’ Shield ‘feels better’

Published: Oct 16, 2007

Last year the Supporters’ Shield was more like consolation prize. D.C. United clinched the award for best regular season record despite losing four of its final five games, including its last three in a row, and then crashed out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference final.Coming during a 13-game unbeaten streak, this season it’s meant to be the starting point, even though United became the first team to clinch back-to-back titles only when Chivas USA loss its first home game of the year against Colorado on Sunday."This one was......

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Hoyas hope to learn from past mistakes

Published: Oct 12, 2007

No matter how high the Georgetown men’s basketball team finds itself in the 2007-08 preseason national rankings — it’s difficult to find a poll that has them outside the top five — the goals they’ve set for themselves will always be higher."You all can have all the expectations you want," said senior forward Patrick Ewing Jr. at Georgetown media day Thursday. "We want to be perfect."Coming off a 30-7 season and their first appearance in the Final Four in 22 years, this year the Hoyas have four seniors, return four......

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Soccer renovations continue at RFK Stadium

Published: Oct 10, 2007

After nearly three seasons of enduring the seams of a baseball diamondin the middle of D.C. United’s soccer field, Ben Olsen is treating his first game on this week’s newly installed playing surface like Christmas."I’m assuming it looks sharp and looks great," said Olsen. "But I’m going to wait until game time to check it out."With an entirely new grass field — "It’s a thick-cut sod with a synthetic backing, so you can play right away," said United general manager Dave Kasper — RFK Stadium’s transition back to only hosting......

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Wizards could be United’s hangover cure

Published: Oct 05, 2007

The last time D.C. United went to Mexico and lost to CD Guadalajara, it responded by losing its next three league matches.United midfielder Clyde Simms said Tuesday’s defeat in the Copa Sudamericana was even more disappointing than the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup loss in April. But it’s fueling the team’s desire to maintain its current superior form in league play in its final regular season road game against the Wizards."I think having this game is great for us," said Simms. "I think we’ll definitely have that Chivas game in the back......

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United helps set the pace as MLS attendance numbers rise

Published: Oct 03, 2007

D.C. United’s biggest non-David Beckham crowd of the season last weekend at RFK Stadium, a crowd of more than 25,000, came as no surprise to team officials. It was the perfect storm of the team’s first Saturday night match since July, the height of the fall youth soccer season and the last chance for season ticket holders to redeem previously unused tickets.The weather pattern doesn’t appear ready to change for the rest of the season.United is set to finish the 2007 regular season second in Major League Soccer in average......

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United heads South of the Border for ‘brawl’ with Chivas

Published: Oct 02, 2007

D.C. United hasn’t won in three games it’s played against Mexican teams in Mexico. But look no further than head coach Tom Soehn for evidence of United’s intention to turn back the tide of history in tonight’s second leg in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 against CD Guadalajara (Chivas)."When we played them there last time, I thought we played them even," said Soehn of United’s 2-1 loss at Chivas in April in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup semifinals. "I think we’re a better team now. We’re going in there to......

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United prevails over Chivas

Published: Sep 27, 2007

It was all too familiar on Wednesday for D.C. United, which for the second time in 2007 found itself the outnumbered visitor despite hosting famed Mexican team CD Guadalajara, with a majority of the 21,022 at RFK Stadium supporting the club known as Chivas.But unlike the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup match that cold, rainy night in March, which ended in a stalemate, this time the last remnants of summer and the true home team prevailed, with a 10-man United bravely securing a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the round......

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United gets second chance against Mexico’s Chivas

Published: Sep 26, 2007

Before D.C. United begins its fifth different competition of 2007 tonight in the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 against Mexican first division power CD Guadalajara (Chivas), lessons need to be gleaned from the disappointing exits in its last three international tournaments with home-and-away series. "It’s pretty simple," said United midfielder Brian Carroll. "In past we’ve played well, but we haven’t gotten the lead at home. That’s the key, to get a lead and keep a lead, that way we know when we go down there that we can compete with......

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The ties that bind

Published: Sep 14, 2007

The banter began early. After all, the standing bet is breakfast in bed.For Larry Devitt, a West Virginia graduate, and his wife, Katie, a Maryland alumnae, plenty was riding on the result of Thursday’s nationally televised game between the Terrapins and fourth-ranked Moutaineeers. "My dad and I usually start making fun of my mom," said Robby Devitt, 13, Larry’s son. "She thinks we’re serious and gets mad, then we apologize."The family from Ellicott City splits their allegiances along school and gender lines — eldest daughter, Mary Beth, is a diehard......

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United keeps streak rolling

Published: Sep 13, 2007

Despite their meager history, Real Salt Lake (19-48-20 overall record in three seasons in Major League Soccer) has been good at one thing, ending D.C. United unbeaten streaks, having snapped a 14-game unbeaten run last year and seven-game stretch earlier this season.But United’s current run might be better than the previous two. Thanks to Luciano Emilio’s third consecutive game with a goal and a penalty-kick save from Troy Perkins, D.C. is nine games without a loss and became the first team to clinch a playoff berth after a 2-1 win......

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Emilio’s success is found in translation

Published: Sep 12, 2007

When LucianoEmilio arrived in Washington last winter, his most confident English phrase was, "It’s in the net," an impression of Comcast SportsNet broadcaster Dave Johnson.On Tuesday he conducted part of his interviews in English, with an interpreter serving only as backup."I’m feeling good in Washington," said Emilio. "I go every time in the city. I like it here. The team is playing very good, and I am so happy."The 28-year-old Brazilian is torching Major League Soccer with a league-high 18 goals, and he’s endeared himself to his D.C. United teammates......

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Beamer goes with Taylor

Published: Sep 11, 2007

Freshman quarterback Tyrod Taylor was named starter in place of Sean Glennon for No. 18 Virginia Tech’s home game this weekend, Hokies head coach Frank Beamer said in his weekly teleconference Monday.Taylor, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound highly regarded prospect from Hampton High, will get his first start Saturday when Virginia Tech (1-1) hosts Ohio (2-0)."This is not a reflection on Sean," said Beamer. "He’s put so much into his preparation, and he’s such a competitor. We just feel like with this football team and our offense, Tyrod fits our personnel better......

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Emilio, Fred, Moreno score as bench sparks comeback

Published: Sep 10, 2007

With the shadows growing long on the 2007 Major League Soccer season, it would be justified to wonder whether D.C. United has paced itself enough to avoid a late swoon, having done exactlythat last year.But after falling behind for the first time in a league match since July 22, United got a measured dose of energy off the bench and two more goals from torridly hot forward Luciano Emilio for a 4-2 victory over New England in a battle for first place in the Eastern Conference in front of 18,918......

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Fred gives United the added spark

Published: Sep 06, 2007

Whether it’s a darting cut inside from the wing, a succession of little steps to avoid an onrushing defender, or a quick touch to create space for a shot, the beautiful Game is currently flowing beautifully for D.C. United midfielder Fred."The stuff he pulls off out there," said midfielder Ben Olsen of his 27-year-old Brazilian teammate. "He avoids tackles and challenges better than I’ve seen anyone in this league. He can be a very good player in this league."It took him a few games to adjust after arriving in the......

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Olsen thrives on the wing, in front of the net

Published: Sep 05, 2007

The jokes keep getting better for Ben Olsen. So do the statistics.Olsen was named Major League Soccer player of the week Tuesday after scoring twice in D.C. United’s 4-0 win over FC Dallas last weekend, his second multi-goal game of the season. His career-high seven goals for the year is second best on the team and tied for seventh in the league. "I tell people to only refer to me as Roy Lassiter now," said Olsen, talking about to the prolific forward who led United in scoring in 1998 and......

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Quarterbacks, Groh on the hot seat

Published: Sep 05, 2007

After defending starting quarterback Jameel Sewell in his Sunday teleconference, Virginia head coach Al Groh on Tuesday sought to rebuild the confidence of the sophomore, who went 14-for-29 for 103 yards and two interceptions in the Cavaliers’ 23-3 loss to Wyoming."As with most of us, he is the last person who needs to be told that it wasn’t his best," said Groh. "He knows that before you tell him. Sometimes to continue with that is just beating somebody over the head with it… We made sure that he understood that......

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English turn gives Colonials fresh start

Published: Sep 04, 2007

It could’ve been the practices on the hallowed grounds where perennial English PremierLeague contender Chelsea trains every day. Or it might’ve been the chance to see U.S. internationals Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey play in person for Fulham against Middlesbrough.Either way, the George Washington soccer team’s preseason trip to England has already paid dividends, with the Colonials earning their first D.C. College title last weekend after victories over American and Howard."We were in a nice, tight, cozy hotel, so we were real close, literally, all trip," said sophomore......

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Kaheaku-Enhada leads Navy into season-opener

Published: Aug 31, 2007

It was big deal for Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. But his coaches didn’t really notice."I had to start all over again working on my throwing," said Kaheaku-Enhada after getting his shoulder popped by Irv Spencer during spring practice. "I started from scratch with my arm so it’s come a long way."Not that it matters. Everybody agrees that throwing the ball isn’t Kaheaku-Enhada’s strength, but that won’t stop him from taking the reigns of the Navy offense. After starting the last six games of 2006 following Brian Hampton’s season-ending knee injury,......

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Terps focusing on strong start

Published: Aug 30, 2007

Perception was reality for the Maryland football team in 2006.The Terrapins began the year with just eight votes in the USA Today poll, a precarious position that left the door wide open for them to fall out of the rankings after their first loss.Maryland is battling a similar outlook in 2007: The Terps begin the season outside of the rankings and know that even if they hammer Villanova in Saturday’s season opener and Florida International the following week, they might stay there."I really think that people already have their opinions......

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Boswell insists he’s not tangled in his own Web

Published: Aug 29, 2007

Lately Bobby Boswell has become better known for his Web site and hosting after-game parties than his play on the field for D.C. United.Boswell has spent three straight games on the bench, the second-longest such spell of his United career, but the third-year defender maintains his off-field interests have not caused his performances with D.C. to suffer."I’ve done as little with that as I’ve done all year, and that was when I got sat down," said Boswell of BobbyBoswell.com. "The thing with the Web site is it’s something that’s public,......

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Moreno makes history as United rolls

Published: Aug 23, 2007

The moment the whistle blew, the 18,748 at RFK Stadium arose in unison, knowing the moment had finally come. New York defender Hunter Freeman had fouled D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio in the box, meaning a penalty kick for Major League Soccer’s most prolific scorer from the spot, Jaime Moreno.It had been more than two months since Moreno had tied the league’s all-time scoring mark with a penalty kick in Toronto on May 19. By calmly burying his 48th-minute kick into the lower left corner on Wedneday, the 33-year-old striker,......

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Gros out, but Olsen ready to return vs. Red Bulls

Published: Aug 22, 2007

The bone spurs in Ben Olsen’s left ankle have been giving him enough trouble that he needed to sit out D.C. United’s victory at Columbus last weekend.It’s a problem Olsen has dealt with throughout the season — one that will require offseason surgery, he said — but it pales compared to teammate Josh Gros’ current status."Extremely worried," said Olsen when asked about concerns over the concussion Gros suffered against the Crew. "It’s so scary. It seems in the last couple years there’s been so many more I don’t what the......

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All-American in doubt for GMU men’s soccer

Published: Aug 17, 2007

Eber Martinez, a two-time Parade All-American midfielder from Gar-Field High who looked to be a prized late addition to the George Mason men’s soccer team, might not be eligible to play this fall.Martinez’s name was taken off of the latest team roster, according to Patriots assistant director of sports information Jason Risley. After underperforming in summer school, his transcript is currently with the NCAA Clearinghouse, said Gar-Field boys soccer coach Mark Markiewicz.Martinez was named 2006 Examiner Player of the Year after leading the Indians to the Group AAA Virginia state......

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Beard’s spell keeps Mystics intact

Published: Aug 16, 2007

With the locker nearest to the door of the Washington Mystics locker room deep inside Verizon Center, Alana Beard, in a way, is the gatekeeper, a first line of defense against a barrage of intrusive reporters.With a big bag of ice wrapped around her left shoulder, Beard graciously holds court after every home game, often recounting the details of yet another come-from-behind victory and offering a steady stream of reminders that she’s never once doubted the Mystics during their tumultuous 2007 regular season.In the same way she’s kept reporters on......

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United awaits a second taste of Beckham

Published: Aug 15, 2007

Whether it was intercepting a bending free kick or racing off his line to beat Landon Donovan to a perfectly threaded pass, D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins got a full dose of David Beckham during the English midfielder’s brief 21-minute Major League Soccer debut last week.Beckham could see even more minutes tonight, but Los Angeles still enters SuperLiga semifinals — its second game in a week against D.C. United — in atrocious form, without a win since his arrival last month. "Not for a second [are we the favorite]," said......

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Beard grows her legend, inching Mystics closer to clinching playoff berth

Published: Aug 15, 2007

It was a microcosm of the roller coaster summer that has been the 2007 Washington Mystics: Yet another slow start, followed by a steady recovery and one more dramatic comeback victory.At the center of it all, once again, was superstar guard Alana Beard, who added another chapter to her magical career, scoring every one Washington’s 18 fourth-quarter points — the second most points scored by a single player in one quarter in WNBA history — to give the Mystics a 65-64 win over the Sun in front on 7,054 at......

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Mystics begin tough final week tonight

Published: Aug 14, 2007

With six days remaining in the regular season, seven of the WNBA’s eight postseason reservations have been accepted, with Washington, New York and Chicago still battling for the eighth and final invitation. The Mystics cannot clinch a place in the playoffs tonight, as they own a slim half-game lead over the Liberty (13-17), who visit Verizon Center on Thursday. Washington is two games ahead of the Sky (12-19).Hot near the Sun » In two games against Connecticut this season, a win and a loss, the Mystics have shot nearly 46......

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Beckham hopes to make MLS debut tonight

Published: Aug 09, 2007

In his first ever visit to Washington, Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham wants tosee the sights of the nation's capital and make his Major League Soccer debut. At a news conference Wednesday at RFK Stadium, Beckham left the door open that his injured left ankle just might be ready."It's a great place to be, a great place to visit," said Beckham. "I'm very honored to be here, personally. I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll play some part of it."The 32-year-old English midfielder, who sustained the injury......

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Miller's bench magic sparks Mystics

Published: Aug 06, 2007

Washington Mystics head coach Tree Rollins said he had tossed and turned the night before, trying to figure out how to get Coco Miller more involved.Coming off a bruised knee, the savvy six-year veteran guard hadn't played more than 10 minutes but once in the Mystics' last 10 games, and she didn't play at all in Friday's win over New York.Rollins apparently knew something everyone else didn't, as Miller showed few signs of rustiness Sunday in front of 8,395 at Verizon Center, clocking in with 16 points in 22 minutes......

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Mystics trying to stay in the lead lap

Published: Aug 03, 2007

Washington Mystics head coach Tree Rollins compared his team’s position to that of a drafting race car: Not leading at the moment, but trailing close behind and poised to slingshot past the cars in front over the final laps."The problem is getting in the right drafting position to make it work," said Rollins, who called Washington’s loss at Indiana on earlier this week "probably the worst game from top to bottom we’ve played all year."The Mystics’ postseason hopes haven’t been extinguished, but they may very well hinge on home games......

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Karlovic wears his height on his sleeve, sort of

Published: Aug 02, 2007

Ivo Karlovic is the tallest player ever to rank in the Top 100 on the ATP Tour, which always leads to the same question: Just how tall is he?Instead of having to answer, the No. 7 seed can just point to the logo on his tennis shorts: 6-10.Everybody’s always asking me, you know, so I just decided to, you know," said Karlovic, speaking in broken English after his 6-3, 6-3 thrashing of Evgeny Korolev in the second round.The 28-year-old Croatian, who burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2003 by......

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Small field, big match for United

Published: Aug 01, 2007

There’s something about playing in Houston that feels familiar.D.C. United has faced the Dynamo on the road just twice since the team moved from San Jose last season. But the field at Robertson Stadium, the reigning Major League Soccer champions’ home at the University of Houston, has a sneaking resemblance to the same cozy (read: narrow, congested) confines of Spartan Stadium, where the former Earthquakes always frustrated opponents."It’s the same sort of setup, the same tactics, and pretty much the same players," said United midfielder Brian Carroll. "So it’s pretty......

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SuperLiga offers big prize, potentially big rivalries

Published: Jul 25, 2007

In theory, the inaugural SuperLiga tournament between Major League Soccer and the Mexican Primera Division is a perfect way to extend the massive international soccer rivalry between the United States and Mexico down to the club level.In practice, it’s an awkwardly timed tournament pitting four MLS teams, in midseason form, and four Mexican teams, in preseason form, against each other.However, with $1 million on the line for the winner, the lure is strong for D.C. United, which opens Group B play tonight against Monarcas Morelia. "Anything extra in the summer......

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Mystics prevail as Jackson storms record book

Published: Jul 25, 2007

Even when Alana Beard, in familiar fashion, had all but sealed another dramatic victory for the Washington Mystics, this time a 97-96 overtime win over Seattle, Lauren Jackson still had one more 3-pointer left in her, one that would clinch the Storm center’s spot in the WNBA record books.Beard scored Washington’s final seven points, including a fadeaway jumpshot with six seconds remaining in the extra period, but the night belonged to the 6-foot-5 Australian, who bested her own league-record with 18 field goals and matched the WNBA’s single-game scoring record......

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Rollins flipping a coin at center

Published: Jul 24, 2007

Two games into the Washington Mystics’ grueling stretch run to conclude the regular season — they’re in the midst of 14 games in 31 days — head coach Tree Rollins ran practice long on Monday, trying hard to improve his team’s ability to attack zone defenses.They executed a good portion of the drills with the starters watching from the bench."We’re going to try and get them as much rest as we can during practice and try to play them as many minutes as possible," said Rollins. "Not that we’re......

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United officials: Stadium discussions continue

Published: Jul 23, 2007

With three big tents, a band, lots of food and around 1,000 people on hand at its latest community event in Southeast Washington, D.C. United officials reaffirmed their commitment Sunday to completing a deal to build a soccer stadium at Poplar Point, despite several media reports that the negotiations have fallen apart."We had meetings on Friday," D.C. United President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Payne said. "We have a whole bunch of meetings on Monday and Tuesday, so I’m not sure how that’s categorized as collapsed. Our position is pretty......

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U.S. men’s team gets surprise scrimmage opponent in Arenas

Published: Jul 20, 2007

Seventeen months ago, Scottie Reynolds played his final basketball game at Herndon High. On Thursday he scrimmaged against Gilbert Arenas.Practicing with the U.S. men’s Pan American Games team against a squad of current and former professionals at Verizon Center, Reynolds even hit a couple of 3-pointers while being guarded by the Washington Wizards superstar and second-team All-NBA pick."It was all luck," said Reynolds. "It was beginner’s luck. I ain’t making nothing of that."Arenas’ spot decision to take part in the scrimmage and Reynolds’ shooting were the highlights on the first......

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Beard must shine brighter

Published: Jul 20, 2007

The Washington Mystics appreciate that Alana Beard is ultimate teammate, a selfless player who doesn’t think of herself first. But she’s also one of the WNBA’s best playmakers, so they wouldn’t mind if she got her scoring going just a little earlier.In the Mystics’ last eight games, a season-best stretch that includes six wins, Beard (team high 18.4 points per game) didn’t reach double-figures before halftime once and scored more than half of her points in the first two quarters just twice."I’ve been getting in trouble a little bit, starting......

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Mystics knock Comets out of orbit

Published: Jul 19, 2007

This time the excuse was the Washington Mystics were coming off a long layoff for the All-Star Game, a refrain no different than returning home after a long road trip, being halfway out the door before the All-Star break, or playing on a short turnaround.Once again Washington started poorly, falling behind Houston by double-digits by the end of the first quarter. But in front of a midday Verizon Center crowd of 13,997 awash with children, the Mystics found inspiration in fickle treatment from the referees and rallied for a dominating......

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Sanford enjoys old-school role

Published: Jul 18, 2007

Nakia Sanford still can’t get the star treatment. Two or three times every game, the Washington Mystics center will get tied up with an opposing player in a fight for the ball, and more often than not, the referee signals jump ball, leaving Sanford in disbelief."They just don’t love me, I guess," said Sanford. "But I still love them, and it’s okay. It’s better that we get a jump ball than them getting the ball. It’s kind of frustrating, but it just rolls that way. What can you do?"She may......

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MLS midseason awards: Whole lotta Toja

Published: Jul 18, 2007

All-Star week wouldn’t be complete without a few midseason awards:Player you can’t live without (but won’t be MVP):Juan Toja, FC DallasHis hairdo pays homage to one of his favorite musicians, Jimmy Page, and he leads the league with 61 fouls committed, but Toja’s rugged, relentless effort has been a signature part of the 2007 season. He’s got six goals — and zero assists — but three have been game-winners and his two-goal effort was key to Dallas’ come-from-behind 3-3 draw with D.C. United.Player you should’ve drafted (but won’t be Rookie......

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Liles misses cut, makes the grade

Published: Jul 17, 2007

When the women’s Under-19 U.S. national basketball team departs today from Dulles Airport for next week’s world championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, they’ll take with them two of the Washington area’s brightest recent stars, Virginia rising sophomore Monica Wright (Forest Park High) and Duke incoming freshman Jasmine Thomas (Oakton High).There will be one conspicuous absence, however, former Riverdale Baptist standout Demauria Liles, who was one of the last two players cut as the roster was trimmed from 14 to 12 after practices last weekend in the nation’s capital.But just to be......

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Defensive woes return for United

Published: Jul 17, 2007

It boils down to this: D.C. United is in a tie for the highest-scoring team in Major League Soccer (1.73 goals per game). But after surrendering a three-goal lead to FC Dallas last weekend, United is ninth among 13 teams for the most goals allowed, ahead only of the teams owning the four worst records in MLS.At the midway point of the 2007 season, just when United’s offense appeared to be firing on all cylinders, a new set of problems have arisen for a defense plagued by inconsistency all year."We......

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Beard assists East to victory

Published: Jul 16, 2007

The easy way out would’ve been to skip it altogether. Even if Alana Beard were set on risking her perennially sore shoulder in the WNBA All-Star Game, couldn’t she just take it easy in front of a packed house of 19,487 hometown fans at Verizon Center?Not a chance.Showing the ultra-competitive spirit that has helped get the Washington Mystics back into contention after the second-worst start in league history — and refusing to deviate from her normal pregame routine — Beard sparked a game-changing run as the East All-Stars held off......

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Beckham’s arrival highlights gap

Published: Jul 13, 2007

It will take one day for David Beckham to earn more money than some Major League Soccer players will take home in all of 2007.That day is today, when the 32-year-old English midfielder will have his long-awaited introduction as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. A soccer star of the highest caliber and a mega-celebrity with worldwide appeal, he is the most important signing in MLS’ 12-year history. He is also its most expensive, at a cost of $32.5 million over five years in salary alone, plus a possible......

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Koehn feels keen to take the shot

Published: Jul 13, 2007

It’s a regular theme in postgame news conferences for Washington Mystics head coach Tree Rollins.After talking about why the Mystics won or lost, he’ll offer yet another explanation of his desire to get more playing time for third-year reserve shooting guard Laurie Koehn, who averages the second fewest points (1.5) and minutes (4.4) on the team."[She’s] really going to help us in the second half [of the season]," said Rollins after Tuesday’s overtime win against Minnesota. "That’s one of the reasons I want to try and get Laurie in every......

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United heads to ‘God’s country’ for U.S. Open Cup

Published: Jul 11, 2007

They’re called the Harrisburg City Islanders, but when they host D.C. United tonight in the U.S. Open Cup, the nation’s oldest soccer tournament, they’ll be playing much closer to Lancaster, some 30 miles and plenty of farmland away."It’s about 40 minutes from where I’m from and 25 minutes from Harrisburg," said D.C. United midfielder Josh Gros, who hails from Mechanicsburg, just west of the Pennsylvania capital. "It’s all the same up there. It’s God’s country."The Islanders, who play in the lower of two tiers in the United Soccer Leagues (USL-2),......

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Mystics need OT to finally pull away from Lynx

Published: Jul 11, 2007

Lured by the enticement of a weeklong All-Star break following Tuesday night’s game against Minnesota at Verizon Center, the Washington Mystics tried very hard to check out early twice.But after failing to build an adequate lead in both the first and third quarters, the Mystics finally got the job done in overtime, striding proudly into the midseason holiday with two straight wins after a 91-83 victory over the Lynx.Nakia Sanford led Washington (7-12) with a season-high 23 points and 10 rebounds, including 17 in the third quarter, in which the......

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Beard, Milton-Jones persevere, earn All-Star nods

Published: Jul 10, 2007

One player admits she hasn’t been at her best. The other, suffering from a nagging injury, barely plays — well, aside from dropping a team-leading 18.9 points a night in games, not to mention 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals.But DeLisha Milton-Jones and Alana Beard were named to the WNBA Eastern Conference All-Star team on Monday, the Washington Mystics’ two representatives for festivities this week that will culminate in Sunday’s WNBA All-Star Game at Verizon Center.Beard, in an ongoing battle with shoulder soreness, didn’t practice Monday — sitting out has been......

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Gomez earns third straight All-Star nod

Published: Jul 06, 2007

Last year a streaking D.C. United sat comfortably atop Major League Soccer at the All-Star break, boasting not only three selections on the MLS All-Star First XI, but also the team’s head coach, then-skipper Peter Nowak.United, after its sluggish start to the season, is back on top of the Eastern Conference after Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Kansas City. However, thanks to that sluggish start, Christian Gomez was the only United name called during Thursday’s unveiling of this year’s first team that will face Scottish champions Celtic at Dick’s Sporting Goods......

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United eyeing top Eastern Conference spot

Published: Jul 04, 2007

It’s taken nearly half the season to get there, but with a victory this afternoon in Kansas City, D.C. United would find itself atop MLS’ Eastern Conference standings for the first time this year.United once again finds itself without a significant portion of its roster, with three mainstays (Jaime Moreno, Bobby Boswell and Ben Olsen) still at Copa America and Bryan Namoff and Guy-Roland Kpene unavailable due to lingering hamstring injuries. But a makeshift lineup didn’t prevent D.C. from earning a resounding 4-1 victory last week against Colorado."We’ve said all......

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Casal ‘wasn’t earning that spot’

Published: Jul 03, 2007

D.C. United made yet another roster move, releasing midfielder Kasali Yinka Casal on Monday. The 19-year-old Nigerian, who earned an assist in United’s first game of the season but hasn’t improved since, vacates one of the team’s senior roster spots. He rejected a pay cut and move to the team’s developmental roster."He wasn’t earning that spot, and we want to keep that spot available if we want to do anything later," said United technical director Dave Kasper.MLS contracts became guaranteed for the rest of the season on July 1.United, which......

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Mystics need, but won’t get, muchrest

Published: Jul 03, 2007

The Washington Mystics’ 1-1 record in their current homestand could easily be 0-2.In consecutive games the Mystics have fallen flat after the opening few possessions, allowing opponents to build nearly insurmountable leads by halftime.While Washington found a way back against the Shock last Friday, there are only so many times you can win with effort alone."If you look at the Detroit game, it wasn’t great a game," said Mystics guard Alana Beard said Sunday after an eerily similar performance and defeat against Indiana. "I think offensively sometimes we get caught......

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Mystics riding a Blue streak

Published: Jun 29, 2007

Nikki Blue doesn’t have to watch the clock. The Washington Mystics reserve point guard’s body tells her exactly when it’s time to come off the bench."I get excited just sitting watching [the first team], and then my knees start shaking. I’m like, ‘It’s going to be my turn. It’s about to be my turn. Let’s go,’" said Blue. More than simply keeping the Mystics’ head above water, Washington’s second unit has played a key role in its recent resurgence, outscoring opposing benches in five of the last six games, including......

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Club soccer overhaul

Published: Jun 28, 2007

It’s a program long overdue to help improve soccer in the United States, according to most coaches. But the creation of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy is set to significantly alter the boys club soccer landscape and create a new tier of elite teams that could leave some clubs on the outside looking in.The initiative, announced earlier this month, creates a top-level nationwide group of 60-80 clubs, selected by U.S. Soccer coaches. Each will field teams in the under-16 and under-18 age groups that train in professional environments and compete......

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D.C. United tries to stay out of reverse

Published: Jun 27, 2007

D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn said he didn’t even watch the tape of last weekend’s 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake. "The best part about that game was when it was over," said Soehn, and United is determined not to backslide any further."It feels like we took a couple steps back, and we’ve kind to had to start over and re-evaluate ourselves," said Devon McTavish. "It’s a long season, you have a lot of opportunities to change."Part of that evaluation includes figuring out who to turn to for on-field......

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Mystics on a scoring streak

Published: Jun 26, 2007

The Mystics scored 80 points in just one of their first eight games — their season-opening loss to Connecticut, the team they face tonight, by the way — but Washington is averaging 91.2 points in its last five games. At the crux of the team’s offensive explosion is DeLisha Milton-Jones, who has 68 points on 24-for-44 shooting (55 percent) in the last three games. Milton-Jones shot better than 50 percent in just one of the Mystics’ first nine contests.Meanwhile, Connecticut has lost four straight at home and six of its......

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Sizing up the win streak

Published: Jun 21, 2007

By some measurement, D.C. United’s current seven-game unbeaten streak could be devalued when looking at the state of the teams that it’s played.Its most recent wins have come against a fatigued New York team, which had played three games in eight days, and a severely undermanned and injury-laden Chicago.Not that either situation inspired any mercy from United, who are happy to embrace any potential criticism."That’s fine with us. But it’s still three points," said United midfielder Ben Olsen. "It’s still professional soccer, and it’s still a results-oriented business. We need......

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Mystics try to run away from the problem

Published: Jun 20, 2007

It’s a roster that includes six players 6-foot-1 or taller, and four of the Washington Mystics are at least 6-foot-4.Yet after last week’s loss to Los Angeles, in which the Mystics were dominated by the Sparks inside, head coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins called his team "very thin up front."He’s got 13 players, but Rollins can activate just 11 for each game. That group includes some versatile and capable reserve guards, but Washington’s backup post players are far less proven, especially recent second-year acquisition Yelena Leuchanka (6-4) and rookie center Gillian......

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Mystics show some hustle and flow

Published: Jun 15, 2007

She knew she wasn’t quite going to make it.Lunging toward the sideline for a loose ball late in the first quarter Wednesday against Phoenix, Washington forward DeLisha Milton-Jones made sure if she couldn’t reach it, no one could. She offered a slight nudge to her Mercury opponent, just enough to send the ball out of bounds in favor of the Mystics.The move may not quite have been exactly legal, but Milton-Jones’ effort on the play — the kind of hustle Washington hadn’t shown in its winless eight-game start — paid......

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Olsen may get to drink from the Copa

Published: Jun 14, 2007

Ben Olsen joked on Wednesday that he received more calls and e-mails after his hat trick last weekend than he did when he got married last winter.One more call may yet come, from the U.S. national team. Olsen said he’s on the short list for the Copa America in Venezuela — which begins for the U.S. against Argentina on June 28 — and that he, Bobby Boswell and Bryan Namoff have all been told to get immunizations next week in case they are selected."That’s up to them. I’m very happy......

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Another Curtin starts to rise

Published: Jun 13, 2007

Prior to Chicago’s home match against Columbus two weeks ago, Fire defender Jeff Curtin called Keith Tabatznik, his college coach at Georgetown, to get some advice. The two talked about what would be Curtin’s second professional start, discussing the idea of the 6-foot-3 defender getting forward on corner kicks, as he did in college, and joking about the possibility that he could become the first Hoya to score in Major League Soccer.Tabatznik’s phone rang again right after the match."Jeff, who is not very emotional one way or the other, was......

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James eyed by Rollins for bigger scoring role

Published: Jun 12, 2007

When Tree Rollins sat down with his players after being named Washington Mystics interim head coach two weeks ago, he wanted to find out what each of them thought their role should be.He also told them his list of the team’s ideal top three scorers: Alana Beard and DeLisha Milton-Jones were no surprise, but second-year small forward Tamara James?"I was kind of shocked when he said that, but I accept it," said James, who’s averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in four straight starts after just 2.7 points and 7.4......

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Hats off to Olsen

Published: Jun 11, 2007

With 10 minutes to play in Sunday’s MLS Eastern Conference clash against New York at RFK Stadium, there was little question that D.C. United was on its way to its best and most complete game of the season. Ben Olsen, a relentless midfielder but hardly ever a goal scorer, put together one of his best-ever offensive performances to put them in that position.But on top of his first multi-goal game since 2005, Olsen saved just enough for a magnificent half-volley from 25 yards out in the 84th minute, completing his......

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Washington ready to grow under Tree

Published: Jun 08, 2007

With a laid-back coaching style that includes more jokes and smiles than raised voices and reprimands, Washington Mystics interim head coach Wayne "Tree" Rollins doesn’t resemble a man in charge of team that is still winless three weeks into the 2007 WNBA season.In their first full week of practice under Rollins, the Mystics have worked on adjusting to his personality while reconciling it with the team’s increasingly desperate search for a victory."We have embraced it, and I was a little concerned at first because this team is young, and when......

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Now in front office, Agoos still fan-friendly

Published: Jun 06, 2007

During his playing days with D.C. United, Jeff Agoos was known as one of the team’s more fan-friendly players, a guy just as likely to be seen out at Clarendon Grill in Arlington as he was to sign autographs for fans after a game at RFK Stadium.Two years removed from his final season on the field, Agoos has moved into the front office for Red Bull New York. As the team’s technical director, he’s the guy figuring out who will be the next Jozy Altidore or Juan Pablo Angel, a......

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Hokies, Cavaliers to open on national television

Published: Jun 05, 2007

Virginia and Virginia Tech will both open their 2007 football seasons with games on national television while Maryland will begin the year on the Internet, as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its schedule for the first three weeks of the season.Maryland is scheduled to meet Villanova on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium. The game will be shown on ESPN360, the national sports network’s broadband outlet.The Hokies’ season and home-opener against East Carolina will be broadcast on ESPN2 while the Cavaliers’ visit to Wyoming will......

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Guyer’s star continues to rise

Published: Jun 01, 2007

It was only one glorious season. In 2004, Virginia posted a school-record 44-wins and earned its first NCAA tournament appearance in nearly a decade. The achievements could’ve been perceived as an anomaly, but Brandon Guyer knew exactly what was going on in Charlottesville under then first-year coach Brian O’Connor. All the former Herndon standout has done since joining the Cavaliers the following year is help them to three more 40-win campaigns and three more consecutive NCAA appearances, matching the program’s total visits to the NCAAs prior to the historic 2004......

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Mystics hoping to make Sky their first win of 2007

Published: Jun 01, 2007

Woe is D » The Mystics not only sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings, they currently are allowing the second most points (83.5) in the league, and they are its worst rebounding team, grabbing less than 29 boards per game while giving away more than 37. With just 14 minutes on the floor against the Shock on Wednesday, it’s clear that Monique Currie, who will face her former team for the first time tonight, is still trying to find her way in head coach Richie Adubato’s complicated offense.Sky......

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Strong bonds in D.C.’s defense

Published: May 31, 2007

When Facundo Erpen arrived in Washington in the summer of 2005, it was expected that the Argentinian would challenge Bobby Boswell, then a rookie in the midst of his first professional season, for the responsibility of anchoring the center of the D.C. United defense.Rather than supplant Boswell, Erpen found a place right alongside him. In the nearly two seasons since, whether it’s been as part of a three-man backline or United’s recent return to a four-man set, the two 24-year-old defenders have forged a bond both on and off the......

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Mystics to get first taste of Currie

Published: May 30, 2007

Just like most of the country, the Mystics got a couple days off during Memorial Day weekend, so they aren’t quite sure how the arrival of guard Monique Currie and the loss of center Chasity Melvin will shake out in tonight’s visit to the current WNBA champions."[The coaching staff] is really just trying to get me on the same page with everyone, trying to learn the system and run the plays so that I can come in and fit in with the team," said Currie, who admitted she hadn’t seen......

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For D.C., getting tough means getting results

Published: May 28, 2007

For much of its 11-year history, D.C. United has prided itself on owning the most attractive, attacking style of any team in Major League Soccer, an approach embodied by a 3-5-2 formation that was a staple under former head coach Peter Nowak.While United (3-3-1) returned to that setup for part of the second half in Toronto, it’s current four-game unbeaten streak has been largelydue to the switch to a traditional and much more defensive-minded 4-4-2. D.C.’s last three wins, including Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Houston — have been marked by......

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Currie traded to Mystics

Published: May 25, 2007

In a move that boosts both the Washington Mystics’ athleticism and its local appeal after a dreadful start to the 2007 season, the team announced Thursday the acquisition of six-foot guard/forward Monique Currie from the Chicago Sky in exchange for 6-3 center Chasity Melvin.Currie, a District native, was named Naismith prep player of the year in 2001 and won consecutive Independent Schools League titles at Bullis before a superlative career at Duke, where she was a two-time All-American and teammate of Mystics guard Alana Beard."This sure is a blessing for......

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D.C. still searching for a ‘clean sheet’

Published: May 24, 2007

With a victory last weekend in Toronto, D.C. United (2-3-1) posted consecutive wins in league play for the first time since last July, when it beat Columbus twice in a row.The first of those two games against the Crew was also the last time United had a shutout victory in league play, a stretch that is now 20 games long."It’s bonus money, it’s confidence, it’s awards, it’s everything," said United goalkeeper Troy Perkins of what is known as a "clean sheet." "But it’s not important, to be fair. If we’re......

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Mystics disappointed after sluggish start

Published: May 24, 2007

With nine returning players from last year’s roster, the Washington Mystics expected to mesh as quick as any team in the league in 2007.But Tuesday’s 18-point loss to Sacramento was a disjointed and ragged affair that left more than just the players shaking their heads."We have done some of the most stupidest things I have ever seen already this year, and it’s the second game," said forward DeLisha Milton-Jones. "It seems like the chemistry and the flow should not be an issue."The Mystics were outrebounded by the Monarchs, 50-22, and......

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Green making leap to pros

Published: May 24, 2007

Seated on either side of John Thompson III at Wednesday’s news conference at McDonogh Gymnasium, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert glanced behind the Georgetown coach and flashed one another a knowing smile as Thompson talked to the media.Although the inside jokes will go on, the two juniors will no longer share them as Hoya teammates, with Green announcing he’s going forward with the NBA draft while Hibbert said he’ll withdraw and play his senior season at Georgetown."Whenever I look at Roy, a smile comes to my face because he’s a......

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Thompson looking for his chance to shine in Big D

Published: May 23, 2007

Abe Thompson finished his decorated amateur soccer career as a Virginia state championship winner with W.T. Woodson High, a national club champion with Braddock Road and the all-time leading points scorer in Maryland Terrapins history. Averaging just three goals and three assists in his first two years in Major League Soccer, his professional career hasn’t been nearly as glorious. But with an assist in each of his last two starts, Thompson is forcing his way into what is becoming the league’s deepest attacking lineup at FC Dallas. "He’s had to......

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Mystics’ early offense disappears as Monarchs rule late

Published: May 23, 2007

First, the offensive rebounds disappeared. Then the offense itself vanished.After leading by as many as 14 points early in the second quarter, the Washington Mystics were an appalling 1-for-20 while surrendering a 16-0 run by the visiting Sacramento Monarchs in the fourth quarter in a 70-52 loss in front of 7,553 at Verizon Center.The loss, which head coach Richie Adubato called "one of the worst in a long time," prompted an immediate response from the team’s management."I’m kind of in a daze, sitting here in shock," said forward DeLisha Milton-Jones.......

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Mystics won’t back down

Published: May 22, 2007

Alana Beard liked what she saw in Washington’s season-opener over the weekend and said three more days was exactly what she needed for her injured shoulder."I feel the difference. I feel good and I’m ready to go," said Beard, who watched the Mystics’ 89-80 loss to Connecticut from the bench. She’ll make her first start of the year tonight against visiting Sacramento. "Strength-wise, I’m 100 percent. Pain-wise, it’s about 80."Even in defeat, Beard said she was impressed with her teammates’ individual improvements during the offseason."I told the girls after the......

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Lawson becoming household name

Published: May 22, 2007

It’s been a long time since Kara Lawson called the Washington area home. For four years, the former West Springfield High graduate has made her year-round home in Sacramento, where she’s led the Monarchs to the WNBA finals the last two seasons, including a championship in 2005Lawson also has become a regular presence in Bristol, Conn., and around the country, too, serving as a basketball analyst for ESPN.With such a packed schedule for most of the year, she looks forward to the summer like a kid in school."Everyone always asks......

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Blue Devils continue methodical dominance over Tar Heels

Published: May 21, 2007

North Carolina and Duke have met three times this season, and each time the Tar Heels have jumped out to an early lead. But each time the Blue Devils have meticulously worked their way back and have come out on top. InSunday’s NCAA quarterfinals in front of 10,438 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the outcome was no different. Duke attackers Matt Danowski and Zack Greer combined for a simply stunning display of offense, leading the Blue Devils back from five goals down in the second quarter to thrash North......

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Getting Penn with the program

Published: May 17, 2007

In the small world of Washington-area private high school girls lacrosse, Rachel Manson and Sarah Waxman couldn’t have come from two more different programs.At ultra-competitive St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Manson was an attacker accustomed to goals, victories and championships. Waxman, a goalie, plied her trade a step below at Sidwell Friends, where more than anything, she got plenty of practice stopping shots. Yet their paths converged three years ago when they became roommates as freshmen at Penn, and in three seasons the two juniors have helped turn the formerly......

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Friendly welcome not expected in Toronto

Published: May 17, 2007

D.C. United midfielder Kasali Yinka Casal knows all about Toronto FC forward DannyDichio, and he wasn’t surprised at all to see the 6-foot-3 striker’s physical — but often violent — behavior in Toronto’s 3-1 win over Chicago."He comes from, like, Millwall. That’s got to be the most vicious team in all of England," said Casal, who despite his 13-year age difference with Dichio, shares the same hometown of Hammersmith, West London. "No one wants to go play at Millwall. They’re tough, and they’ve got the craziest fans. That’s just natural......

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Late pick Cristman having a hot start

Published: May 16, 2007

Of the six MLS rookies with a goal or assist so far this season, five were taken in the first or second round of the 2007 SuperDraft. Adam Cristman, meanwhile, was selected in the fourth round by New England. The former Virginia forward was the fifth-to-last pick (48th overall), but he leads all rookies and is tied for third in the league with three assists. He also scored his first goal of the year in the Revolution’s 3-2 win at Los Angeles last weekend."It was the goal-scoring side of him......

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Hoyas as good as advertised

Published: May 15, 2007

It’s not so much that the question itself was inappropriate, but the way the subject was presented was awkward."Six of Georgetown’s nine goals were scored by freshmen," said a reporter to Princeton head coach Bill Tierney after the Hoyas’ 9-8 overtime win over the Tigers on Sunday. "Did those guys look like freshmen to you?"Bristling with discomfort, Tierney acknowledged the play of the Hoyas’ young stars, specifically mentioning Andrew Brancaccio ("He’s one of the best out there,") and Craig Dowd ("[He] did a great job and finished some things that......

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Quick OT strike advances Hoyas

Published: May 14, 2007

After only one possession each for Georgetown and Princeton over the final six minutes of the fourth quarter of Sunday’s the NCAA first-round matchup, the last thing expected when the game went to overtime was a quick strike by either team.So Hoyas junior attack Brendan Cannon took advantage on the first possession of the extra period, and just 31 seconds into overtime he got underneath Tigers defender Dan Cocoziello from the wing, sped to the cage and launched himself across the goalmouth to beat goalkeeper Alex Hewit from close range.Cannon......

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Understudies shine for Terps

Published: May 11, 2007

Thomas Alford hopes some of the magic that inspired his high school alma mater, St. Albans, to its historic win over Landon in the Interstate Athletic Conference Tournament on Wednesday, can spark Maryland in this weekend’s NCAA tournament first round game against UMBC."Because the school is really small, you never really graduate," said Alford on Thursday. "You’re always part of the team so I feel like I was part of the team yesterday that won. I’m going to go watch them [in the final] Saturday. Hopefully, I’ll get a couple......

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The proof is in the practices

Published: May 10, 2007

Kasali Yinka Casal is a 19-year-old speedster with loads of potential talent. But he’s also raw and somewhat untested. It’s a combination that usually earns a player plenty of accolades yet little playing time.Not this year at D.C. United, where coaches have shown no reluctance to test the limits of its roster as the team recovers from its 0-3 start."It’s a great feeling to know that you can come in and make an impact," said Casal, who despite being the team’s second youngest player is already looking like a reliable......

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Toronto embraces MLS franchise with open arms

Published: May 09, 2007

By scoring the game-winning goal for visiting Kansas City in its 1-0 win at Toronto FC two weekends ago, Eddie Johnson became the first Major League Soccer player to find the net at BMO Field, Toronto’s brand new, 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium.He also became the first opposing player showered with beer by Toronto FC supporters. The gesture, though frowned upon, demonstrated how in its first season, the Canadian franchise is already being embraced like it’s been around for decades."It’s a very fine line between overt passion for your local club and......

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Lacrosse takes center stage

Published: May 08, 2007

It comes as no surprise to followers of lacrosse that nearly every team in this year’s NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has at least one representative from the Washington area. Only one of eight first-round games — Towson at Cornell — features two teams currently without a single local player.The rest of next weekend’s contests not only include former region standouts, but area players who are likely to figure heavily in their teams’ tourney fortunes.The Main EventPrinceton (10-3) at No. 6 Georgetown (11-2)The two highest-ranked teams in the USILA coaches poll......

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Gomez, Moreno power United to first 2007 MLS victory

Published: May 07, 2007

D.C. United is still adjusting to the new formation instituted just last week — and the plethora of chances allowed to visiting Chivas USA on Sunday means there’s plenty of work left in an upcoming bye week.But the spark may have returned at the offensive end. Both of D.C. United’s goals, scored in the second half of their 2-1 win in front of 14,267 at RFK Stadium gave hints of the attacking flair and passion that had been missing so far during the regular season."It wasn’t the type of play......

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‘A good step forward’

Published: May 04, 2007

When 11-year veteran Jaime Moreno began Thursday night’s game against New England on the bench, it was supposed to signal wholesale changes for a D.C. United team desperate to change its fortunes following its 0-3 start to the season.But it was the ageless striker, who drew a penalty kick and converted it himself after being inserted into the game at halftime, that helped United earn its first points of the 2007 season, tying the Revolution, 1-1, in front of 12,908 at RFK Stadium.Moreno said his reaction to being benched wouldn’t......

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For United time to ‘put up or shut up’

Published: May 03, 2007

April was more than just a cruel month on the field for D.C. United. In addition to going winless in four games — including three losses to open Major League Soccer regular-season play — the weather also stunk.But aftersnow flurries, rain and lightning in three successive matches, mild temperatures and mostly clear skies are expected to prevail this evening as United looks to get back on track against New England. "It’s finally going to be nice to play under a clear sky and not thinking, ‘When’s the rain coming......

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Colonials’ cornerstone

Published: May 03, 2007

For the last five years, Elana Meyers has called the Mount Vernon Softball Field her second home. Although she didn’t help physically build it, she is the foundation of the program that uses it. Beginning this afternoon and finishing Saturday, the George Washington shortstop, the program’s first signee when it became a varsity sport five years ago, will make her final three home appearances for the Colonials. "I came here with the intention to help develop the program and really get it off the ground," said Meyers. "Me and......

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Miller is Tigers’ X factor

Published: May 02, 2007

People always seem to keep track of when Kathleen Miller loses. It just seemed inevitable that all the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes standout would ever do was win.The Princeton senior attacker lost in the NCAA final as a freshman and hasn’t gotten past the NCAA quarterfinals the past two seasons. A defeat in their penultimate regular season game at Maryland could keep the Tigers out of the NCAA tournament for the first time in 10 seasons. "It definitely is a new situation for the whole team," said Miller. "Especially......

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Red Bulls resurgence not a Cosmos revival

Published: May 02, 2007

One month into the regular season, Major League Soccer is buzzing with the revival of the New York Red Bulls, who are tied for the league’s best record and can extend their record of 360 minutes (four complete games) without a goal to start the season when they travel to Real Salt Lake this weekend.Does it mean we’ll soon see players mingling at Studio 54 and sellouts at Giants Stadium, a la the New York Cosmos of the mid-1970s? Not quite."It’s way too early to get excited about anything," said......

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United: Time for some action

Published: May 01, 2007

Last weekend Brian Carroll became the second D.C. United player in as many games to get pulled at halftime at Columbus after his first-half giveaway led to the only goal of United’s 1-0 loss to the Crew.Yanking the normally consistent midfielder, who led the team in minutes played last year, was a dramatic move for head coach Tom Soehn — he did the same to Facundo Erpen against Kansas City — but with United (0-3) one loss away from matching its worst start in franchise history, anything and everything is......

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Big bats coming to life

Published: May 01, 2007

To get an accurate measurement on the distance of Scott Krieger’s recent towering home run against Longwood, George Mason may need to invest in some professional surveying services.With his seventh-inning shot against the Lancers on April 17, Krieger, a sophomore left fielder, not only cleared the left field wall at Raymond H. "Hap" Spuhler Field, but also breached the fence of George Mason Stadium up the hill another 20 feet before finally coming to rest in the middle of the lacrosse field. The consensus is Krieger easily topped 500 feet."I......

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A slim margin for error

Published: Apr 27, 2007

Will the five one-goal contests Virginia has already played this season help or hurt the defending national champion Cavaliers in this weekend’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament?"You’d like to think [those games] are hardening us," said sophomore attackman Danny Glading, a Georgetown Prep alum who’s second on the team with 26 goals and 14 assists. "We played pretty badly in the two games that we lost so hopefully we can keep that in the back of our minds and come out a little more positively."Glading rescued Virginia last weekend with a......

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Ties that bind

Published: Apr 26, 2007

Last weekend’s women’s lacrosse game between Maryland and host Virginia Tech was the first time that Kendall McBrearty had seen her twin sister, Kady, since the tragedy the week before in Blacksburg, but it wasn’t the first time she had seen the Hokies play.Kady McBrearty, a junior attacker and Virginia Tech’s leading scorer, racked up a career-high four goals in a game defined by much more than the Terrapins’ 21-17 winning scoreline."They played their best and [Kady] played her best in that game," said Kendall McBrearty. "I think it’s just......

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South American invasion

Published: Apr 26, 2007

D.C. United technical director Dave Kasper won’t take credit for this season’s league-wide trend of acquiring South American talent — Argentineans, in particular — to bolster Major League Soccer rosters."Honestly, I don’t pay attention to what other teams are doing," said Kasper. "Certainly, we’ve had success there. It’s a good place to look for players — they’re professional, they’re technical, and you can find players of good value."Despite the impending arrival of English midfielder David Beckham, the rest of MLS is catching the Latino wave, including United’s next opponent, Columbus,......

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Hoosiers helping form new Crew

Published: Apr 25, 2007

It would be difficult for Danny O’Rourke and Ned Grabavoy to know each other much better. They’ve played together since they were teenagers and they were roommates for three years at Indiana, helping the Hoosiers win two straight NCAA titles in 2003 and 2004. Reunited for the first time since college this season in Columbus, the two 23-year-olds are building a new legacy as professionals."We don’t show up at training say, ‘Remember when we were at Indiana,’" said Grabavoy, a fourth-year player who won the 2005 MLS Cup with Los......

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Bowie benefits from Southern charm

Published: Apr 24, 2007

It’s been two years since Tiffany Toney left the elite confines of NCAA Division I softball at Oklahoma and her childhood home in North Texas. In moving to suburban Prince George’s County and Division II Bowie State, not only has she learned about the humbling experience of clearing rocks from the infield before games but also greater lessons about herself.Recently named Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association player of the year, last weekend Toney helped the Bulldogs captured their first-ever CIAA championship and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA regional tournament."It......

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‘We’re not the underdog’

Published: Apr 20, 2007

When you’re starting a small business, industry message boards are often the first proof of growing buzz for your product.George Washington senior defender Molly Gannon has been onWeb sites such as Laxpower.com a bunch, watching intently for comments about the Colonials."The lacrosse community isn’t a big one. People talk, and it’s good when they talk about your team," said Gannon. "I think we’ve made the jump. We can’t say we’re the young team any more. We’re not the underdog. We’re a factor in every game."The Colonials (7-5), in just their......

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Attitude change sparks magical start for Wizards

Published: Apr 19, 2007

Chris Henderson thought the transition from midfield to assistant coach would be more difficult. The 1990 World Cup veteran had played in Major League Soccer since its inception before retiring from the New York Red Bulls this offseason to join the Kansas City Wizards technical staff."I’ve loved every minute of it," said Henderson. "I played against every guy in the league last year so I have insight the others coaches might not have."Yet it’s not his on-field insights that have the Wizards sparkling after a 4-2 demolition of D.C. United......

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Brancaccio turns corner

Published: Apr 19, 2007

Andrew Brancaccio’s offensive output technically was in decline by his second game. That’s what happens when the nation’s No. 1 recruit opens his career with a hat trick, as the Georgetown freshman did in the Hoyas’ season-opening win over Maryland.Brancaccio posted three multi-goal performances and was held scoreless just twice in the next nine games, but he was starting to get frustrated."I was having trouble with my shot and wasn’t hitting the goal as much," said Brancaccio, who turned the corner last weekend, scoring three second-half goals in a come-from-behind......

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Mystical dreams at Trinity

Published: Apr 18, 2007

They came from all over the country, converging in Chantilly for a three-hour audition, all with hopes of snagging a prized roster spot at a WNBA training camp.Many of the 45 or so players at the Washington Mystics’ invitation-only tryout at Hoops Magic on Tuesday hailed from the biggest conferences and best teams in NCAA Division I women’s college basketball, from North Carolina to Texas.But there were also two from Trinity University, the tiny, 575-student Division III women’s school in Northeast with one of the least recognized athletic programs in......

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Celenza faces ‘short-term’ challenge

Published: Apr 17, 2007

Developing a short-term memory may just be Mike Celenza’s biggest challenge. If he can get that right, Salisbury should have little problem getting its season back on track.Despite being a true freshman, Celenza, a former All-Examiner selection at Quince Orchard High, has adjusted quite easily to the rigors of the college game, starting every game for the nationally ninth-ranked Sea Gulls (22-7, 5-5 Capital Athletic Conference), who travel to Catholic (15-16, 6-4) for this afternoon’s CAC Tournament opener."If you go 0-for-4 or you make a couple errors," said Celenza, "You’ve......

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Will United get defensive following bye?

Published: Apr 16, 2007

D.C. United was one of the busiest teams in Major League Soccer during the past offseason, making dramatic moves to bolster its offense while revamping its roster of reserves. But in entering a fourth consecutive year with the same 3-5-2 formation and many of the same or similar-type personal within the team’s starting eleven, how much has really changed?Both the Colorado Rapids and the Kansas City Wizards showed that despite the presence of reigning MLS goalkeeper of the year Troy Perkins and defender of the year Bobby Boswell, they knew......

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Ahoure on the fast track

Published: Apr 13, 2007

It boils down to two foods — if you can call them that — that George Mason sprinter Murielle Ahoure is no longer allowed to eat."Cheetos and gummi bears," said Ahoure. "Those are the two things."She never expected to sacrifice the little indulgences when she began running track for fun as a junior at Hayfield High. But Ahoure’s career has exploded in the four years since, and now a sophomore and national contender in a sport where the margin between winning and losing is measured in hundredths of a second,......

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United happy for home opener after tough preseason

Published: Apr 11, 2007

D.C. United’s annual kickoff luncheon Tuesday at the Capital Hilton was more of a welcome-home rally for team that spent much of its two-month preseason on the road."We had the course of a season within the preseason," said United head coach Tom Soehn of the team’s four games in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup, including last week’s 2-1 loss at C.D. Guadalajara. "It’s great to come home. I think the guys were all drained as well as the staff."A team-wide letdown after the loss in Mexico was partly to blame for......

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No missing these sisters

Published: Apr 11, 2007

Lindsay Bitonti’s athletic career at Catholic could’ve been a chance to finally differentiate herself from her sister, Katie Bitonti, who is a year older and was always the better lacrosse player."Ever since I was growing up, people always thought that I lived in her shadow," said Lindsay Bitonti. "I never really felt that way."So when Katie Bitonti’s expected playing career at Georgetown didn’t quite take off as expected, Lindsay knew exactly what to do. "The second I got [to Catholic], I was talking to the coach about that I had......

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Experiencing growing pains

Published: Apr 10, 2007

Of the 11 healthy pitchers currently listed on the George Washington baseball roster, seven are freshmen.The resulting inconsistencies have the Colonials of Foggy Bottom looking remarkably similar to their professional counterparts on East Capitol Street. "We’re sort of juggling the rotation. Everyone we’re throwing out there is having some trouble. We’re like the Nationals, and that’s not a good thing," said George Washington head coach Steve Mrowka.It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Colonials (11-20, 3-6 Atlantic 10), who lost 11 of their first 12 games, then won seven of......

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United trades for ex-Terp Burch

Published: Apr 05, 2007

D.C. United acquired former Maryland forward Marc Burch, right, from the Columbus Crew in exchange for a 2008 third round supplemental draft pick. The six-foot, two-inch Burch, who was drafted originally by Los Angeles,played in seven games for the Crew last year. He scored the game-winning goal in the Terrapins’ 2005 College Cup final win over New Mexico.......

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Controlling presence

Published: Apr 04, 2007

Georgetown thought it had the break it needed against Maryland junior midfielder Dana Dobbie, the nation’s toughest draw control specialist. Having cut the Terrapins’ lead to five goals and poised to close the gap further early in the second half Tuesday afternoon, the Hoyas finally had a draw fall their way.But just when Georgetown’s Bridget Noon appeared to have control of the ball and momentum on her side, it popped right back into the stick of Dobbie, who released teammate Lauren Cohen for a breakaway score to restore Maryland’s six-goal......

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Cannon finally finds shot

Published: Apr 03, 2007

Brendan Cannon is not the only member of Georgetown’s men’s lacrosse team frustrated by the team’s scoring woes. Although the preseason Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference offensive player of the year has an assist in every game this season, goals have been much harder to come by."If Scott [Urick] was able to, he’d be pulling a lot of hair out of his head," said Georgetown head coach Dave Urick of his son, the team’s assistant coach for offense. "If he pulled a handful out every time Brendan made a bonehead play,......

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Green’s arrival keyed Georgetown’s return

Published: Mar 30, 2007

It was at the All-Star game of the Rock Summer League in 2003 when Georgetown Prep’s Roy Hibbert first talked to Northwestern High’s Jeff Green about playing basketball together in college."I sat down next to him — I had seen him before, jumping through the air, he could jump extremely well — and I said, ‘Why don’t you come to Georgetown? I heard your decision is between Maryland and Georgetown,’" Hibbert said. "We could have some fun."Oh, how prophetic Big Roy was. The good times continue as the two juniors......

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Hoyas confidence a matter of instinct

Published: Mar 29, 2007

He’s got an Ivy League education and coaching skills honed under the tutelage of basketball wizard Pete Carril. But John Thompson III has the genes that perhaps best explain what the college basketball world has come to understand: The son of the legendary John Thompson, Jr. was born to coach.Down the stretch against both Vanderbilt and North Carolina, Thompson saw fit to switch Georgetown’s defense from man-to-man to zone, moves that played crucial roles in both of the Hoyas’ come-from-behind victories. What did Thompson pull from his vast compilation of......

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Summers heating up

Published: Mar 28, 2007

The first song of the Big Dance is always the toughest.Freshman DaJuan Summers has started nearly every game this season for Georgetown, but even he wasn’t quite prepared for the Hoyas’ NCAA Tournament opener against Belmont. He went 2-for-9 from the floor, finishing with just six points and four rebounds.But 10 days and three games later, Summers delivered clutch performance from start to finish in the Elite Eight, opening the game with two 3-pointers and finishing with eight points in overtime, including two enthusiastic dunks to put away North Carolina......

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Phipps a natural fit in cage

Published: Mar 27, 2007

For years Michael Phipps used his younger brother for target practice. Lucky for him and the Maryland men’s lacrosse team Brian Phipps was pretty good at defending himself."We had a big backyard and all the neighbors would come shoot around. They’d just put me in the goal because I was the youngest, and I always wanted to play with my brother and all his friends," said Brian. His desire to be with his older brother helped lead him to Maryland, where as a true freshman, he expected to watch for......

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One year later: A rivalry renewed

Published: Mar 24, 2007

As he watched the early reports of a scandal involving Duke lacrosse players from his hotel room in Durham, N.C., Georgetown head coach Dave Urick only considered the idea momentarily that the Hoyas game the next day against the Blue Devils wouldn’t take place."There was a lot on TV on the news about what was going on," said Urick. "I thought to myself, ‘Jeez, we might not play this game,’ just kind of a passing thought."And so the Hoyas’ pregame routine the next morning at Koskinen Field was already underway......

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Georgetown on a winning roll

Published: Mar 24, 2007

The Hoyas have won two straight since a jarring, 14-9 loss to Syracuse at home two weeks ago. "For the last three years, Maryland’s beat us the first game of the year, and then we’ve gone on a big winning streak — you have your backs against the wall, that’s when you tend to play your best," said Georgetown senior defender Jerry Lambe. " I think [the Syracuse game] really woke us up. I think everybody’s getting focused, and we know what we have to do."Once again lacrosse plays second......

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GW inspired by underdog attitude in women’s tourney

Published: Mar 24, 2007

There’s supposed to be more parity in men’s college basketball. But while only one No. 7 seed advanced to the men’s Sweet 16, there are two double-digit seeds and two No. 7 seeds remaining in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.The underdog mentally has helped inspire No. 5 seed George Washington, one of just three teams left that doesn’t represent a major conference."I think it’s just the belief that, ‘We’re not just going to give them a good game,’ it’s a belief that ‘We’re going to go out and win,’" said......

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Back from the dead

Published: Mar 23, 2007

Georgetown head coach John Thompson III’s reaction when asked what he can learn from the Hoyas’ first meeting with Vanderbilt in November speaks volumes about how much things change over the course of a five-month college basketball season."We can throw that game out the window," said Thompson. "It was our second game of the year, their first game of the year, and that was so long ago."They may wear the same uniform, but the Hoyas are not the same team they were when the year began. Despite the current status......

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Roy wants to be like Pat

Published: Mar 22, 2007

When you’re a big man at Georgetown, whether you like it or not, you’ve got more than just one head coach.Seven-foot-2 Hoyas center Roy Hibbert recalled exactly when he turned his game around after two points, two rebounds and two fouls in the first half of the Georgetown’s NCAA second round game against Boston College."When coach [John Thompson III] was getting on me in the locker room," said Hibbert. "I had to get my act together. Plus, I saw Big John [Thompson Jr.] giving me some looks on the sidelines."Hibbert......

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Nwankwo taking bench perspective

Published: Mar 21, 2007

Davis Nwankwo would have good reason to be distracted during Vanderbilt basketball games. But his immediate responsibility is to keep statistics, which keeps him from thinking about the heart condition that cost him his Commodores playing career and nearly his life on a fateful day just over a year ago. "Occasionally when I see a really good play, I’ll shout," said Nwankwo. "But by taking the stats, I’ve got to stay laid back. I’ve got to pay attention, especially to turnovers because you never know, coach might ask me how......

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Locals bring Pitt a winning mentality

Published: Mar 20, 2007

Pittsburgh’s achievements this season easily trump the unfavorable task of hosting perennial favorite Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.The Panthers - 6-20 three seasons ago - already set a school record for wins before defeating James Madison, 71-61, on Sunday for their first ever NCAA tourney win."I saw that the team had a lot of potential on my [recruiting] visit, and I wanted to come to Pittsburgh to create and build a program," said sophomore guard Xenia Stewart (Riverdale Baptist). Pitt is 46-19 since her......

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Hoyas are last ones standing

Published: Mar 20, 2007

It started so promising, with five teams in the mix — four with No. 5 seeds or better — and several promising locals starring on the national stage.But the Washington area’s dominance of the NCAA Tournament ended in less than 48 hours, starting with George Washington’s opening-round exit Thursday and culminating with Virginia Tech crashing out against Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon.Only one area team is left standing: Georgetown."When you play at that level, it doesn’t surprise me," said Colonials head coach Karl Hobbs. "Some people didn’t think Virginia would......

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Blood is thicker than college

Published: Mar 16, 2007

In one stroke of bad luck, Alan Meltzer’s philanthropy toward his alma mater nearly cost his son a spot in the NCAA championships.A former scholarship wrestler at American, Meltzer has been one of the university’s strongest supporters and a generous contributor, in particular to the Eagles athletic department, since graduating in 1973. Six years ago he spearheaded an effort to save American’s wrestling program from extinction, and he was instrumental in the hiring of head coach Mark Cody and recruiting of some of the Eagles’ current wrestlers. Meltzer’s effort has......

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United plays to tie in CONCACAF semifinals

Published: Mar 16, 2007

Luciano Emilio extended his streak of scoring in every match he’s played with D.C. United — a total of three games — nodding in a 91st minute equalizer to salvage a 1-1 tie with reigning Mexican league champion C.D. Guadalajara, a.k.a. "Chivas,"in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup semifinals.In steady rain and falling temperatures, a pro-Chivas crowd of 26,528 was United’s biggest at RFK Stadium since Freddy Adu’s debut April 3, 2004.Mexican national team star Omar Bravo scored for Chivas on a header that deflected off United defender......

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United hosts Mexico’s best

Published: Mar 15, 2007

D.C. United’s regular-season opener is more than three weeks away. But a midseason atmosphere is expected for today’s clash with reigning Mexican first division champion C.D. Guadalajara, a.k.a. Chivas.More than 22,000 fans are expected for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup semifinals againstthe big brother club of Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA."We take this tournament very seriously, as players, as an organization," said United defender Bobby Boswell. "I think that most of the fans know that, but [the club] is trying to stress to everyone else that this......

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This group has class

Published: Mar 14, 2007

There were early hints it was going to be a special year in college basketball for local freshmen. On Nov. 7 at Comcast Center, Dumfries native Eric Hayes started at point guard in his first game for Maryland against Hampton, which started freshman forward Michael Freeman of Alexandria, who had 14 points and six rebounds.By the last day of January, when Texas freshman phenom Kevin Durant — a Suitland native who spent his senior season at Montrose Christian in Rockville — made it a one-man race for national player of......

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Local flavor spices tourney

Published: Mar 13, 2007

Perhaps you thought there was little reason to get your first taste of March Madness before the main course is served Thursday.Think again. Tonight’s appetizer, the opening round "play-in" game in Dayton, Ohio, features Niagara guards Lorenzo Miles and Stanley Hodge, two Gonzaga High alumni who helped the Purple Eagles to 11 straight wins entering their showdown with Florida A&M for the right to play Kansas on Friday.In a season that likely to see Suitland native Kevin Durant become the first freshman to earn national player of the year honors,......

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NIT passes on GMU

Published: Mar 13, 2007

George Mason’s run to the Colonial Athletic Association final last week helped rekindle some of the magic the Patriots enjoyed during last season’s miraculous Final Four run. But it wasn’t enough to earn a bid to the National Invitational Tournament."I think if we had been invited to the NIT, we could’ve done very well," said Patriots head coach Jim Larranaga. "But there were other teams whose success throughout the season put them in a better position to be invited." The Patriots’ 18 wins would match the fewest wins and their......

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Let’s go dancing

Published: Mar 12, 2007

Jeff Green arrived at Georgetown’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show viewing party Sunday without the T-shirt, hat and watch he won the evening before at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas junior forward had already given his Big East championship gear to his father. "That’s the past," said the Big East tourney MVP after hearing the Hoyas earned a No. 2 seed and will face Atlantic Sun Conference champion Belmont in Winston-Salem, N.C., in Thursday’s first round.CBS analyst Seth Davis called Georgetown, "One of the best No. 2 seeds I’ve ever seen,"......

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Different madness: Hoyas host 'Cuse

Published: Mar 10, 2007

Men's basketball is all the rage at Georgetown, where March Madness has swept the campus despite the school being on spring break. Head men's lacrosse coach Dave Urick made sure to schedule Thursday's practice around the ninth-ranked Hoyas' Big East quarterfinal against Villanova."Since we're on break, it's a good thing because it gives our guys something to occupy them, instead of just laying around doing nothing," said Urick. "It's a great release for them."The lacrosse team has been equally impressive and carries a 2-0 record and No. 2 ranking into......

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Colonials cruise into A-10 tourney

Published: Mar 07, 2007

George Washington is riding its second five-game winning streak of the year heading into the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which begins today in Atlantic City, N.J. With the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye into Thursday’s quarterfinals, theColonials (20-8) just might be legitimate title contenders.Q Carl Elliott leads the A-10 in assists and steals, yet he was only a third team all-conference selection. What’s the deal?A I’m really disappointed with that. When you look at the success he’s had over his career, he’s one of the very few players that......

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Mason finishes strong again

Published: Mar 07, 2007

The past few days seemed like last year’s Final Four run for the Patriots, who nearly won the Colonial Athletic Association title as a No. 6 seed. Virginia Commonwealth’s Eric Maynor is primarily responsible for keeping them from returning to the NCAA Tournament, but the NIT likely awaits.Q Do you enjoy the CAA tournament? You must’ve been able to derive some satisfaction after the Patriots’ up-and-down regular season.A I certainly enjoyed the way we played, and for 158 of 160 minutes, we played tremendous basketball. For two minutes, one player,......

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The son also rises

Published: Mar 06, 2007

When he re-entered the game against Pittsburgh on Feb. 24 with less than seven minutes remaining, Georgetown forward Patrick Ewing Jr.’s stat line was unimpressive: zero points, two rebounds, two blocks and three turnovers.In one play two minutes later, he rendered stats irrelevant. With the Hoyas and Panthers tied, 49-49, and 4:51 to play, Ewing slid into the path of Pitt guard Levance Fields at the top of the key, drew an offensive foul and turned the tide in favor of Georgetown for good. The Hoyas closed the game with......

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Lawrence avoids second thoughts

Published: Mar 03, 2007

Sarah-Jo Lawrence is not bitter about her selection to the All-Atlantic 10 second team.The George Washington junior guard was a preseason first-team pick, and certainly lived up to expectations with a career-high 13.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.Was it too much to ask for three Colonials — guard Kimberly Beck, another preseason first-teamer, was a lock, and forward Jessica Adair also got the nod — to receive first-team honors?"Jessica had such a breakout year that you couldn’t not give her first team," Lawrence said. "She was at one point......

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Hoyas seniors witnessed rise

Published: Mar 03, 2007

Georgetown senior Kenny Izzo recently reminded junior teammate Jeff Green what it was like at the end of Izzo’s freshman season when the Hoyas lost in the first round of the Big East tournament and finished a dismal 13-15."We were under .500 so we knew we weren’t going to qualify [for the NCAA Tournament], even the NIT," Izzo said. "So we all had a little spring break, which is not a good thing when you’re playing basketball. This year should be a little different."Izzo and Sead Dizdarevic, the Hoyas’ only......

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Something for everyone

Published: Mar 02, 2007

For some it’s finally the postseason. For others it’s early in the regular season. And in many cases, a loss could mean the end of the season. Thus brings the onset of a barrage of events tonight to suit the tastes of all kinds of Washington-area college sports fans:» MEN’S BASKETBALLNCAA Division III Tournament first round at CatholicMessiah (19-6) at Catholic (22-5), 8 p.m.Mini-March Madness comes to Northeast, where the Cardinals have won six in a row. Catholic senior Patrick Dwyer is coming off 25 points, including 6-for-7 from 3-point......

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Hoyas show human side

Published: Feb 28, 2007

The anointing had begun. Georgetown was poised to set a school record with 12 consecutive Big East wins and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said the Hoyas deserved be in the discussion for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.That is, until Syracuse proved Georgetown is not invincible. Not that Hoya coaches needed convincing."If you beat Penn on Tuesday and lose to Dartmouth on Saturday, you still have one loss," Hoyas head coach John Thompson III’s warned after last weekend’s win over Pittsburgh, referencing his Princeton days. Thompson has repeatedly......

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Howard introduces Bailey

Published: Feb 27, 2007

Howard alumni wanted athletic director Dwight Datcher to move quickly to hire a new football coach. His running joke was they couldn’t announce one until the Super Bowl was over."My latest e-mail was that we were waiting for the loser to see which coach we wanted to bring in next," joked Datcher at Monday’s introduction of new Bison head coach Carey Bailey. "I wasn’t trying to look for somebody who could bring instant results next year… It is important to build upon the foundation that’s there and move forward."Bailey inherits......

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Hoyas on guard for Panthers

Published: Feb 24, 2007

It is not the most anticipated mini-battle in Saturday’s Big East showdown between No. 10 Pittsburgh and No. 12 Georgetown. But a New York City rivalry is brewing in the backcourt.Panthers guards Ronald Ramon and Vance Fields hail from the Bronx and Brooklyn, respectively, while Hoyas sophomore Jessie Sapp is a Harlem native. "We’ve been friends for a long time and played together in AAU," said Sapp. "So I know what they do, and they know what I do."Sapp also knows guard play was supposed to be the Hoyas’ weak......

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Over the Hood

Published: Feb 22, 2007

If other coaches are surprised, they’re not admitting it. But the Hood men’s basketball team certainly exceeded its own expectations in its first Capital Athletic Conference season."When the season started, my hope was that we would make the conference tournament because there are nine teams in the league, and number nine doesn’t make it," said Blazers head coach Tom Dickman.Instead, in the program’s fourth year, Hood won nine of its first 10 conference games and earned the top seed, relying on an inside-out combination of junior center Jesse Gutekunst (18.6......

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Swann content with migration

Published: Feb 21, 2007

The homesickness was a familiar feeling. After all, Isaiah Swann had bounced around plenty during high school. So even though the Gaithersburg native took a quick liking to Tallahassee during his freshman year at Florida State, he still wasn’t sure it was the place for him. "I was like, ‘I miss my people at home.’ I was getting homesick here and there, but I fought through it, and I knew that everything was going to be alright," said Swann, a junior shooting guard. "I wanted to build something. I didn’t......

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Hoyas provide little running room

Published: Feb 20, 2007

It is a cliché basketball coaches toss out with regularity."You’re going to make a run, they’re going to make a run," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III after the Hoyas’ win over then No. 11 Marquette on Feb. 10. Except in this case, Thompson is just partially correct. Georgetown’s offense has produced game-changing runs often during its nine-game winning streak. The opposition cannot make a similar claim.In the Hoyas last four games, they allowed an 8-0 run by Louisville, a 9-0 spurt by the Golden Eagles, a 7-0 run......

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Teammates turned rivals

Published: Feb 17, 2007

When Marissa Coleman saw Brittany Mitch at last year’s NCAA Final Four in Boston, she couldn’t help but feel mixed emotions.It would’ve been the ultimate storyline: two freshmen, former high school teammates, competing against one another for a national title, Coleman for Maryland, and Mitch for Duke.But while Coleman went on to play — and her double-double (10 points, 14 rebounds) was a major factor as the Terrapins captured their first championship — Mitch could only sit and watch, having ended her season 32 games before with a hip injury."I......

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Beck, Colonials earning respect

Published: Feb 15, 2007

Kimberly Beck did not grow up worshipping a basketball idol. She has never patterned her game after a particular player. In fact, who’s the George Washington point guard’s favorite player? Her backcourt partner."Sarah-Jo Lawrence. I think she has one of the quickest first steps in basketball," said Beck. "She’s just a great all-around player."It’s a non-traditional choice that suits Beck just fine, who isn’t concerned about being considered among the best guards in the country or the shadow of defending national-champion Maryland just a few miles away."I’m trying to make......

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Hokies aim to repeat feat

Published: Feb 13, 2007

Virginia Tech already has a signature win this season at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Perhaps Hokies head coach Seth Greenberg is worried there won’t be any magic left for tonight’s visit to face No. 4 North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center just a few miles away."I thought the fine print when we joined this league said we never had to go to Chapel Hill. Finally in year three, they’re finally making us go there," joked Greenberg. "We tried to get the game cancelled, but we couldn’t so I guess we......

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Summers has the look

Published: Feb 10, 2007

The fearsome scowl belies his youth and inexperience.There is nothing easygoing about Georgetown freshman DaJuan Summers’s on-court persona. Combined with an array of skills rare for a player of his size and youth, he is particularly unappealing to opponents."I’ve been told that a lot that when I’m on the court, I have this face - everyone tells me that I’m mean," said Summers, flashing a wide smile. "But when they get to know me, I’m the exact opposite. It’s serious when I’mon the court; it’s about business."Summers’ teammates love his......

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Familiar foes

Published: Feb 09, 2007

Tonight’s dual wrestling meet between Maryland and American features a dream matchup at 165 pounds between two of Southern Maryland’s best: longtime friends and former club teammates Jason Kiessling, a fifth-year senior with the Terrapins, and Mike Cannon, an Eagles redshirt freshman.Neither ever thought they would actually meet on the mat."We both grew up together in the same area, wrestled on the same junior league teams, but I was always really small, wrestling 103, 112, and he was always 160. We were always far apart," said Cannon. "It is funny......

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For starters, Blue Hens turn to DeHaven

Published: Feb 08, 2007

Kyle DeHaven was essentially guaranteed she would not start for Delaware’s women’s basketball team this season. But the junior guard’s role in the first five will be crucial down the stretch in one of the Blue Hens’ best seasons in recent memory.DeHaven, a transfer from William & Mary, will make her fourth start tonight when the Blue Hens make their annual visit to George Mason."Our three guards were all returning," said Blue Hens head coach Tina Martin. "Kyle was absolutely great about coming off the bench. She just wanted to......

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United schedule rife with intrigue for ’07 season

Published: Feb 07, 2007

It’s not exactly easy to plan around.The D.C. United 2007 regular season schedule unveiled Tuesday includes games on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from April to October. Thankfully, more than half will be nationally televised.Nineteen of United’s 30 regular season games will be broadcast by various Major League Soccer partners, including ESPN, Univision, Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet. Comcast SportsNet’s regional schedule has not been finalized Here are four home games to check out:Only the Cup counts» Houston Dynamo: Sat., May 26, 7:30 p.m., HDNetD.C. United won the 2006 MLS......

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Price adopts Olympic-sized goals

Published: Feb 07, 2007

At the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, athletes don’t see much besides the gym and their bed.But the occasional gold medalist sighting helps balance the intense workouts and provides evidence a future payoff is truly possible.George Mason redshirt freshman William Price spent nearly three months last summer in Colorado with the U.S. junior national men’s volleyball team. He played nearly nine hours of volleyball every day. But he also got to meet speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno."There’s all these Olympians that are in the training room while you’re......

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Maryland must be on guard

Published: Feb 06, 2007

When Maryland head coach Gary Williams begins preparation for an opponent the Terps have already faced, he reviews that tape and then looks at the opponent’s results since.All he’ll find for Virginia since the Terrapins’ visit to Charlottesville three weeks ago is six straight wins and 44.7 points per game combined in those victories from senior guards J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary."Their guards just killed us. We know they’re going to be out there 40 minutes, and we have to be able to play their guards better than we did,"......

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Lehigh’s Olivero controls what he can

Published: Feb 03, 2007

It’s the exact opposite of senior year in high school.Despite how their team does in their final season of high school, basketball players with Division I scholarships in hand know there’s a bigger prize in store: college and a new team, a new coach and perhaps a chance to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. A visit to campus, a call with new teammates, or a team sweatshirt quickly brings much-needed inspiration. For college seniors who want to play professionally but may not be first- or second-round NBA draft......

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Hoyas can’t cool in spotlight

Published: Feb 01, 2007

The discomfort with being anointed a preseason Final Four contender was clear once the Georgetown men’s basketball team lost three of its first seven games.After a similar rush to judgment following the demolition of Notre Dame in their Big East conference opener, the Hoyas were once again dragged back into the national shadowsby consecutive losses.But flying under the national radar the last two weeks, John Thompson III’s steady process of creating a complete Georgetown team has continued at pace. The Hoyas have crafted four straight victories entering the fulcrum of......

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Ashton, United get started

Published: Jan 30, 2007

New D.C. United assistant coach Chad Ashton has plenty to get used to this season. The blustery cold weather of the team’s first official practice of the season at RFK Stadium Monday isn’t one of those things. "It’s a little warmer than Denver so I can’t complain," said Ashton, who coached at the University of Denver for 10 seasons. He was one of several new faces on United’s first day, a number exaggerated by the absence of those traded away in the offseason and five players currently with the......

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Strawberry on the road again

Published: Jan 30, 2007

D.J. Strawberry looks forward to getting back on the road. And it’s not because he’s a glutton for punishment.After shooting 19 percent from the field (4-for-21) in Maryland’s first two Atlantic Coast Conference road contests, the Terrapins senior guard was determined to raise his play in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech two weeks ago. Mission partly accomplished. Strawberry was 5-for-13 from the field. But it wasn’t enough. "I haven’t been shooting the ball well on the road," said Strawberry. "I don’t think it’s really mental, I think I have to just......

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Hoyas’ Rivers sailing new course

Published: Jan 27, 2007

For the progeny of a former NBA player and current coach, there’s something to be said for learning how to get along without a basketball.Georgetown freshman guard Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, doesn’t have the ball in his hands as much as he did in high school. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing."I was fighting it at first, like, ‘This is hard. I gotta have the ball in my hands,’" said Rivers, whose efficient contributions off the bench have helped spur the Hoyas’ current......

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GW’s sister act draws raves

Published: Jan 26, 2007

They were obvious talents when they moved from Anacostia to Foggy Bottom last year to join the George Washington women’s basketball team. They also had that oh-so-important attribute you cannot teach: height.But it wasn’t until the NCAA tournament that 6-foot-4 Jessica Adair and her twin sister, 6-3 Jazmine Adair, both had their eyes opened to how good they could be - and how much work it takes to get there."They realized, ‘This is fun, but I need to get better,’" said Colonials coach Joe McKeown.Both are doing just that this......

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AU’s Hallinan catches breath

Published: Jan 25, 2007

The inhaler is still in the back of Steve Hallinan’s locker. But now it’s just a reminder of the American junior’s struggles during the fall, not the crutch so many asthma sufferers rely on. Hallinan, a junior, was named Patriot League runner of the week for the second week in a row and the third time this season after running the second-fastest mile in Eagles’ history (4:07.37) at last weekend’s Terrapin Invitational."I had a solid month where I was having trouble breathing on runs and there was even a two-week......

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Goodrich’s last-chance effort

Published: Jan 23, 2007

These are good times for Gil Goodrich.The Bowie State men’s basketball team is coming off its first two-game losing streak of the season. Yet the Bulldogs’ senior guard had fans lined up after he had 30 points — including eight 3-pointers — and four assists in last weekend’s 83-79 road loss to Livingstone."People were coming up to him after the game, shaking his hand," said Bulldogs coach Luke D’Alessio. "They call him, ‘The Truth.’"The truth is, this is not only Goodrich’s last college season. It’s probably his last chance,......

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GW’s unlikely frontcourt tandem

Published: Jan 20, 2007

Aside from being tall, Dokun Akingbade and Robert Diggs couldn’t be more different. But in their first year as starters, the two are growing into a formidable duo for George Washington in the low post."It’s like night and day," said Colonials senior guard Carl Elliott. "Diggs will get a dunk and be yelling and screaming. Then Dokun will get a dunk, and he’ll just look at you like, ‘I just dunked the ball. So what.’"Neither played substantial minutes before this season, but both have started every game so far for......

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Cavs’ Littles does it her way

Published: Jan 19, 2007

Lyndra Littles is the anti-gym rat.The Virginia sophomore forward didn’t begin to play basketball until she was 12 or 13 years old. She didn’t play for an AAU team during high school. She does not obsess over the sport that dominates her life. But she’s the Cavaliers’ leading scorer (15.9 points per game) and rebounder (8.9 per game) as they prepare to face No. 3 Maryland tonight at Comcast Center."As fun as it is and as much as I love to play, it’s just like a job," Littles said. "You......

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Rams’ Mojidi still on her own

Published: Jan 18, 2007

Rhode Island junior guard Safi Mojidi hasn’t played in Washington since she was a freshman. Tonight the Silver Spring native and Bullis Prep grad will have familiar faces in the stands when the Rams face No. 11 George Washington — friends, coaches and former teammates — but no immediate family will be among that group.Mother Khadijat Mojidi is headed to Chicago to see Nofi Mojidi, Safi’s fraternal twin, who stars for the women’s basketball team at the University of Chicago. The Maroons, ranked No. 11 in Division III, put their......

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United ecstatic with addition of Emilio

Published: Jan 17, 2007

Honduran first division club CD Olimpia is no Real Madrid. Luciano Emilio may not be David Beckham. But the Brazilian forward was unveiled Tuesday by D.C. United with plenty of enthusiasm from United technical director Dave Kasper and head coach Tommy Soehn."Obviously I don’t arrive in the same fashion that Beckham does, but I’m here to help D.C. on the attack, and that’s going to be my goal," said Emilio, 28, who scored 91 goals in five seasons in Honduras.Despite the success of Argentinian imports Christian Gomez and Facundo Erpen,......

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Diane struggles with consistency

Published: Jan 16, 2007

The statistics read like a roller coaster.Ten points and seven rebounds one night. Four points, one board and five personal fouls the next. Nearly a season-high 22 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range one game. Two points and an 0-for-3 performance behind the arc the next.Virginia sophomore Mamadi Diane is searching for consistency and his wild swings have nearly mirrored the Cavaliers’ uneven season."Some nights I’ve focused on the wrong thing, just thinking too much about what I need to be doing, and just not focusing and playing the......

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Terps raise the bar

Published: Jan 15, 2007

The loss to Miami hurt so bad, Maryland freshman guard Greivis Vasquez lost sleep and could barely show his face in class the next day."I couldn’t talk to my teacher — he’s a big fan — I couldn’t talk to my classmates," Vasquez said. "I was really guilty about the loss."Consider his mood changed.The Terrapins rebounded mightily from the Miami debacle, knocking Clemson off its undefeated perch Saturday while avoiding a dreaded 0-3 start in Atlantic Coast Conference play. It was arguably their most complete performance of the season.In fact,......

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United goes young

Published: Jan 13, 2007

Bryan Arguez first got to know Freddy Adu when both selected for the under-20 U.S. national team. The two are currently in Florida with the team, and next week they headto Panama for the CONCACAF U-20 World Championship final found qualifying tournament."Freddy says every ball is a good ball," said Arguez, who turns 18 today. "He’s a hard worker."Chosen with the 11th pick of the 2007 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, this season the 6-foot-2, 165-pound defensive midfielder will replace the departed Adu as D.C. United’s youngest player. "We did not......

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United goes young

Published: Jan 13, 2007

Bryan Arguez first got to know Freddy Adu when both selected for the under-20 U.S. national team. The two are currently in Florida with the team, and next week they head to Panama for the CONCACAF U-20 World Championship final found qualifying tournament."Freddy says every ball is a good ball," said Arguez, who turns 18 today. "He’s a hard worker."Chosen with the 11th pick of the 2007 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, this season the 6-foot-2, 165-pound defensive midfielder will replace the departed Adu as D.C. United’s youngest player. "We did......

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Richardson adjusting to college game

Published: Jan 12, 2007

The reality of how Diane Richardson’s life is different these days is most apparent during the most commonplace events."I see kids’ parents in the grocery store and I can’t even say hi," said Richardson. "I’ve kind of got to give them a look and go the other direction."During the last five years, Richardson built Riverdale Baptist High into one of the most successful high school girls basketball programs in the region. Last spring Richardson left to become an American University assistant coach.Instead of the freedom to seek out and coach......

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United’s Olsen: Beckham signing a ‘win-win’

Published: Jan 12, 2007

D.C. United got a chance to face David Beckham last year when it played Real Madrid to a 1-1 tie in Seattle. Now United will face one of the world’s most recognizable athletes on a yearly basis.None are falling into the trap of thinking the 31-year-old English winger, who has inked a deal to join the MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy, is washed up."He’s a phenomenal passer of the ball, and he’s a phenomenal ball-striker when it comes to free kicks and balls whipped in," said United midfielder Ben Olsen. "That......

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Young Hoyas learning from string of losses

Published: Jan 11, 2007

Surely it couldn’t be the same team that lost to Connecticut by nearly 60 points just one month ago.The Georgetown women’s basketball team’s three-point loss to No. 17 Louisville on Tuesday was a game they desperately wanted and needed to win, but with just one senior, five freshmen and two transfers, but the young Hoyas (11-6, 1-3 Big East) will have to stash it away as another lesson."It’shard to compare this year to last year," said third-year head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, who had just eight on her roster last season.......

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Basketball Q & A with George Washington men’s coach Karl Hobbs

Published: Jan 10, 2007

George Washington’s inconsistent play from half to half nearly mirrors the trends of the team’s two biggest playmakers: Carl Elliott and Maureece Rice. The Colonials (10-3, 1-0 Atlantic-10) need 40 solid minutes in their biggest road game so far at Massachusetts (11-4, 1-0) in Amherst. Q The pregame notes distributed by UMass say tonight’s game is "huge." How big is this contest?A I think it’s a little too early for that. I think it’s a big game. I think it’s a statement game for them, but I think it’s a......

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Colonials look to close gap

Published: Jan 09, 2007

She’s the essential go-getter for the George Washington women’s basketball team. While much of the team watched the Colonial men beat Marshall last weekend, junior forward and Woodbridge High graduate Whitney Allen worked security for the game at Smith Center."Normally I’m inside the gym where I can watch the game," said Allen, but she wasn’t unhappy about missing the men erase a 21-point deficit against Marshall or that the George Washington women landed at No. 16 in last week’s Associated Press rankings, right behind No. 15 Georgia — a team......

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United ownership group introduced

Published: Jan 09, 2007

Victor MacFarlane has the ultimate credential as proof of his interest in soccer.The leader of D.C. United’s new ownership group saw first-hand when France’s Zinedine Zidane drove his head into the chest of Italy’s Marco Materazzi at the World Cup final in Berlin last summer.His acquisition of United’s operating rights were already underway at that point, but "the World Cup added to the excitement," said MacFarlane, who was introduced at a news conference Monday at the Williard Intercontinental along with co-owners William H.C. "Will" Chang and Brian Davis.As the controlling......

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Nova’s Reynolds at home as visitor

Published: Jan 08, 2007

Georgetown wears blue and gray. Villanova sports blue and white.But when the visiting Wildcats meet the Hoyas at Verizon Center tonight, another color is certain to stand out in the crowd: red.It’s the color of Villanova point guard Scottie Reynolds’ alma mater, Herndon High. When the freshman McDonald’s All-American makes his return to Washington, he’ll have several hundred supporters there to share in the moment.As a senior, Reynolds led Herndon to its first Northern Region title and the Virginia Group AAA state final. He finished as the school’s all-time leading......

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United's rights sold to investment group

Published: Jan 06, 2007

A year after the collapse of the last attempt to sell D.C. United's operating rights, club President and CEO Kevin Payne will announce Monday a new set of investors will purchase the team.Anschutz Entertainment Group is selling the team's rights.Payne will lead the group, which includes Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks and former Duke basketball player and D.C.-area native Brian Davis, according to sources.The group also includes real estate developer Victor MacFarlane, according to a source with knowledge of the deal.Davis, managing partner of development company Blue Devil Partners, will......

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Patriots must stop doubting Thomas

Published: Jan 05, 2007

It was the kind of highlight reel play that leaves fans hungry for more.On a fast break in the first half against William & Mary on Wednesday night at Patriot Center, George Mason swingman Gabe Norwood caught a pass, raced down the left wing, cut into the lane, easily rose high above his defender, drew contact and softly finger-rolled the ball into the basket. Athletic finishes above the rim are expected from the senior. But while Norwood finished with a season-high eight points against the Tribe, he also was lured......

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Eddy injury threatens Marymount title defense

Published: Jan 05, 2007

It was a freak accident, but it could alter the outlook for the defending Capital Athletic Conference women’s basketball champions.Going through warm-ups in practice prior to the Thomas More Holiday tournament in Kentucky last week, Marymount senior guard Tara Eddy (Vienna/Madison High) stumbled hard and suffered a knee injury that could keep her out for a significant portion of the rest of the season.Not only was Eddy leading the Saints (6-5, 3-1 CAC) in scoring (11.8 points per game) but she also shot a conference-best 45.5 percent from 3-point range......

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Fierce high school rivals, tight college teammates

Published: Jan 04, 2007

It was a ritual throughout high school.Each day after a basketball game, Justin Baker, the best player at West Springfield, and Mike Lee, who starred at the Spartans’ biggest Patriot District rival, Hayfield, always checked the box scores. They weren’t looking for their own names. Instead, each sought the other’s statistics."We were definitely big competitors. I used to look in the papers after every game to find out how many points he had," said Lee. "I used to call people and find out his stats."After years as ferocious adversaries, Lee......

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Terps’ Gatewood fine with reserve role

Published: Jan 03, 2007

She was the 2004 Parade Magazine national high school player of the year. But redshirt junior Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood is happy to come off the bench for No. 1 Maryland (15-0), which opens its Atlantic Coast Conference slate tonight at home against North Carolina State (11-3)."They still have a starting five from last year who won the national championship. I respect that. I’m also getting minutes as a starter," said Wiley-Gatewood, who’s averaged 13.3 points and 21.7 minutes in her first three games since becoming eligible for the Terrapins. "I’m definitely......

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Whose defense is superior?

Published: Dec 30, 2006

Few fans outside of those who follow Virginia Tech and Georgia may be aware that two of the hottest defenses in the country will lead their teams into a matchup dormant since 1932. Both teams have put mid-season struggles behind them, but who is "Experienced" enough to find victory?» Purple (Maroon) Haze: For the second-straight year, Virginia Tech finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense (221.1 yards allowed per game). Boasting two All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team picks, sophomore cornerback Brandon Flowers (3 INTs, 21......

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Navy, B.C. put bowl streaks on line

Published: Dec 30, 2006

Navy’s annual postseason tour stops in Charlotte to meet Boston College, one of the toughest bowl teams in the country. The Midshipmen have won two consecutive bowl games, picking up victories in San Diego and San Francisco the last two seasons. But the Eagles, who’ve won six straight bowl games, are looking to build on the longest active streak in the nation.Here’s "The Who" to watch for:» Pinball Wizard: Navy sophomore Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, thrust into the starting lineup following a season-ending knee injury to Brian Hampton, is the fourth different......

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Can Terps shine in Mickey’s shadow?

Published: Dec 29, 2006

It’s not Times Square, but Disney World loves to celebrate the New Year. With a fan- and weather-friendly location in Orlando, Fla., the Champs Sports Bowl has plenty of old-style appeal. It’s also a chance for Maryland or Purdue to add a solid ending to an already resurgent season. Here are three storylines to watch alongside Mickey Mouse:» Stop spreading the news: The Boilermakers make the ball move as well as any team in the country, and under head coach Joe Tiller, offense has led Purdue to nine bowl appearances......

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United’s eventful offseason continues

Published: Dec 22, 2006

D.C. United made its second dramatic offseason move in as many weeks Thursday when it replaced head coach Peter Nowak with assistant Tommy Soehn. But team officials don’t believe the club has undergone a dramatic change in the wake of two straight seasons ending in disappointment."It’s not like we sat back and said, ‘Gee, we don’t have a good team, we need to start over again,’" said United president and CEO Kevin Payne. "We did make some decisions about what our priorities were…Because of the nature of those decisions, they......

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American readies for Terps

Published: Dec 22, 2006

It’s a quiet time for most college athletes. With exams over and many students home for the holidays, basketball players are left to roam free and wreak havoc on campus.Or not."It’s really boring. We’re just playing video games and practicing. That’s all we’re doing," said American center Paulius Joneliunas. One of three Lithuanian seniors on the team, Joneliunas has had enough of being cooped up with his three roommates and teammates, countrymen Linas Lekavisius and Arvydas Eitutavicius and forward Brayden Billbe. "[Billbe’s] the one who plays the most."Despite occasional twinges......

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Hudson returns more complete

Published: Dec 21, 2006

Darryl Hudson was Howard’s leading scorer and rebounder last season. But after the final game of the Bison’s difficult 7-22 campaign, then first-year head coach Gil Jackson left Hudson with a stern message for the offseason."He said, ‘I want you to become a basketball player,’ " said Hudson. "He wasn’t talking about, ‘I want you to score.’ He was talking about, ‘I need you to learn more about the game, calm yourself down, pick your spots on the court and work on your jump shot.’ When I went into the......

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Colonials making steady climb

Published: Dec 19, 2006

The George Washington women’s basketball team inched ahead another notch in the latest national rankings this week, moving from No. 20 to No. 19. The Colonials (9-2) have progressed steadily, advancing an average of one position weekly.That’s good enough for respect, but not headlines."Make it interesting, we gotta get famous, man," said a smiling senior guard Kimberly Beck after Saturday’s 62-51 victory over Auburn, responding to head coach Joe McKeown’s astonishment upon realizing his team had allowed a 17-point first-half lead to slip to just one before pulling away late.The......

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Local stars to clash on national stage

Published: Dec 18, 2006

Kaili McLaren has plenty of reasons to be excited about tonight’s visit to John Paul Jones Arena. The Connecticut freshman has been travelingback and forth to Charlottesville since sixth grade, attending basketball camps and visiting her brother, who graduated from Virginia in 2004. The JPJ Arena, the Cavaliers’ spectacular new 15,000-seat gem, replaced University Hall and opened this fall."I just cannot shoot in University Hall," said McLaren, a D.C. native and Good Counsel High alumnae. "The fact that we get to play at John Paul Jones Arena is really exciting......

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Beginning to role play

Published: Dec 15, 2006

Veterans get the headlines, cover shots and autograph requests. Georgetown junior center Roy Hibbert was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Maryland senior D.J. Strawberry has developed into a team leader and the primary player voice in the media. George Washington looks to senior Carl Elliott for virtually everything.But among the local teams, younger and lesser-known players have begun to step to the forefront and take on major roles. They may not be immediately recognizable names now, but check back in a month or so.» Greivis Vasquez, Maryland, 6-5, Fr.:......

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Source: MLS Cup headed to D.C.

Published: Dec 14, 2006

Major League Soccer and D.C. United will announce today the 2007 MLS Championship Game will be played at RFK Stadium for the third time in league history, according to a source.MLS Commissioner Don Garber, D.C. United president Kevin Payne and District officials will make the official announcement at a press conference scheduled for today at RFK Stadium.MLS Cup returns to Washington for the first time since 2000. The league’s last two title games were held at Pizza Hut Park, which opened in 2005 just outside Dallas. In 2000, Kansas City......

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UDC enjoying its rebirth

Published: Dec 14, 2006

The worst part was they were never as bad as their record. The University of the District of Columbia men’s basketball team was 1-22 last season. It would have been difficult to be much worse. But immersed in the 25th anniversary season of the school’s last Division II national title in 1982, the Firebirds have undergone a dramatic renaissance. After a four-point season-opening loss, UDC has reeled off seven straight wins en route to a 7-1 record."There wasn’t really any low point, just fatigue; tired of battling every night with......

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A non-United front on Adu’s departure

Published: Dec 13, 2006

The sight of the three-ring Freddy Adu circus packing up and moving out of town brought mixed emotions to D.C. United following the trade Monday that sent the 17-year-old midfielder to Real Salt Lake."He definitely wore out his welcome with a couple people," said one source close to the team, adding that Major League Soccer itself was at least partially responsible for the hype surrounding Adu in his three seasons with United. "He was in commercials with Pele before he ever played."Though just a teenager, Adu earned more than $500,000......

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It’s not how you start

Published: Dec 12, 2006

Losing streaks were a rarity for Georgetown when Patrick Ewing, Sr. anchored the middle for the Hoyas in the early 1980s. "It’s a long time ago. Plus, the only year we struggled was my sophomore year, and that was because we were very young. So I can’t try to compare," said Ewing, who was courtside to watch his alma mater and son, Hoyas sophomore Patrick Ewing, Jr., defeat Oral Roberts, 73-58, last weekend. The Hoyas lost 10 games during the 1982-83 season — Ewing, of course, led Georgetown to the......

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Getting back to the point

Published: Dec 08, 2006

It’s always the inquisitive athlete that gets a hard time. George Mason junior guard Casey Quigley certainly suffers her fair share."Casey is a kid who likes structure and consistency," said Patriots coach Debbie Taneyhill. "We always laugh at her in practice because she has to ask a question. We’ll say, ‘We’re going to run this offense,’ and she’ll say, ‘Well, how about if we do this?’ She’s very analytical on the court."Don’t mistake questions for misunderstanding. After not a single start last season, Quigley is running the point with confidence......

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Hoping to shine in the sun

Published: Dec 07, 2006

Maryland quarterback Sam Hollenbach has been wearing the same baseball cap for nearly three years, a rapidly fading 2004 Gator Bowl hat."I was about to wear it but I figured it’s in the transition stage so I didn’t go with it," said Hollenbach on Tuesday. "As soon as my Champs Bowl hat comes, that thing is going to be retired."Now a fifth-year senior on the verge of graduation, Hollenbach is preparing for more than just a change in headgear. He is preparing for the final game with his current team......

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Little Hoyas play big roles

Published: Dec 05, 2006

There were two names synonymous with high hopes for the Georgetown men’s basketball team at the beginning of the season, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. At 6-foot-9 and 7-2, respectively, both juniors were preseason Wooden Award candidates.But after seven games, guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp, 6-1 and 6-3, are right there with the Hoyas leading big men in both scoring and minutes played.Sapp (10.0 points per game) had a team-high 13 points in last weekend’s loss to Duke and Wallace (11.4 ppg) had a season-high 17 in the defeat......

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Patriots misfire against Bison

Published: Dec 04, 2006

The glorious memories of George Mason’s success in the Verizon Center last season — a 3-0 record, including two NCAA tournament wins — faded quickly in a lackluster start on Sunday.The Patriots allowed Bucknell to race to a 13-point halftime lead and only closed the deficit late in a 60-57 defeat in the opening game of the BB&T Classic.Senior forward Donald Brown led the Bison (3-5) with 16 points and, aside from one airball, was perfect from the field (6-for-6)."Truthfully, I don’t understand it. We just played yesterday and it......

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Colonials down Hokies despite foul trouble

Published: Dec 04, 2006

George Washington continued its winning ways at the BB&T Classic, fighting off foul trouble, and a nine-point halftime deficit, to hold Virginia Tech to just one field goal in the final six minutes in a 63-62 victory."I think it’s huge because we’re a team that’s developing, a team that’s trying to develop a personality," said Colonials head coach Karl Hobbs. "For us to beat a team like Virginia Tech this early in the season, it’s huge for us."The Hokies actually led by one point with 18 seconds remaining, and senior......

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Not every Midshipman headed for Philly

Published: Dec 02, 2006

Navy senior wrestlers John Jarrod and John Cox have never seen the Army-Navy football game in person. It’s the biggest event of the fall semester, but Navy’s wrestling team cannot attend because the annual Nittany Lion Open at Penn State always falls on the same weekend."It’s usually listening to it on the bus ride over to Penn State on a radio on one part of the bus, and everyone just shouts the score every couple of minutes," said Cox. Navy football is one of the most inclusive events at the......

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Elliott, GW gearing up for BB&T

Published: Dec 01, 2006

Carl Elliott needs to ratchet himself back a notch.The George Washington senior guard smiles freely when asked about the BB&T Classic at Verizon Center, and he can’t help but be excited about this weekend’s showcase. With signature wins over Maryland and Michigan State, the tournament has served as a springboard to great success the past two years for the Colonials. Elliott needs to be on the floor to make it three, but he’s had two straight foul-plagued games."I just need to slow down a touch. You come out, and you’re......

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Vaughn makes mark in College Park

Published: Nov 28, 2006

The first time Wake Forest kicked the ball deep to Maryland senior Josh Wilson on Saturday night, he returned it 40 yards and nearly broke free for a touchdown. The Demon Deacons kicked away from him the next three times.But after taking a 31-17 lead late in the third quarter, Wake decided to kick to Wilson again. This time, Demon Deacons sophomore Chip Vaughn stopped Wilson cold, dragging him backwards with a ferocious tackle at the 20-yard line."Prior to that, Josh had challenged us. He was like, ‘We need a......

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Ingram reliving senior moments

Published: Nov 24, 2006

Andre Ingram likened it to when he was a high school senior in 2003. That year he led Richmond’s Highland Springs High into the Virginia Group AAA state final against much-heralded South Lakes High. Nobody thought Ingram’s team had a chance. Essentially, the same holds true when American (3-1) visits Atlantic-10 favorite Xavier (3-1) on Saturday."It’s funny looking at it. During warm-ups, you looked at us and you looked at [South Lakes], they were definitely more physically gifted than we were, but we played with so much heart it made......

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Pats’ Vaughan finding his place

Published: Nov 21, 2006

It was as much his celebration as anyone else’s.George Mason sophomore guard John Vaughan basked in the glory with his teammates and a sellout crowd as the Patriots’ 2006 Final Four banner was raised at Patriot Center on Saturday even though he missed all of last season with a serious knee injury. That absence has served as his inspiration in the Patriots’ first two games, but Vaughan doesn’t want it to set him apart as George Mason (1-1) tries for an encore in 2007."I think I do want it a......

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Hoyas find gem in Houghton

Published: Nov 18, 2006

Georgetown head coach Kevin Kelly is an even-keeled guy. But his calm demeanor revealed just a hint of excitement when asked about Hoyas freshman running back Charlie Houghton.Kelly compared him to Colgate sophomore Jordan Scott, a Hyattsville native and DeMatha High grad who was recruited by Georgetown and this season leads the Patriot League with 1,050 rushing yards."When you see Charlie play, in my opinion, he’s a better back," said Kelly.Entering the final game of a difficult first season at the helm, Houghton is a bright spot Kelly can focus......

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Red, black and a hint of Oranje

Published: Nov 17, 2006

After graduating from Kent State last spring, Berber Rischen decided that before returning to her native country, the Netherlands, she wanted to pursue an MBA. Withone of the top 25 programs in the country, Maryland’s Smith School of Business was a good choice."I decided that I wanted to go to Maryland, then I talked to the field hockey coaches to see if there was a chance to play another year of field hockey," said Rischen, who just happened to lead the Golden Flashes to three straight Mid-American Conference titles and......

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Sukaj is Eagles’ valued import

Published: Nov 16, 2006

There’s a certain phrase you may hear at the Patriot League volleyball tournament this weekend at American."Kape topin lart." Huh? Swing high.It’s encouragement offered frequently by Qemal Sukaj, father of American sophomore outside hitter Rubena Sukaj, an Albanian import and virtual lock to earn Patriot League player of the year honors.Rubena has led the top-seeded Eagles (23-6) to 17 straight wins, including American’s fifth undefeated season in conference play (14-0). They’re aiming for a sixth straight Patriot League title and NCAA tournament bid starting Friday."My dad has always followed me,"......

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Nothing new: Terps face Red Storm

Published: Nov 15, 2006

Jeff Carroll knows the way to College Park.Less than two weeks ago, Carroll finished his rookie season with D.C. United. Although he didn’t play college soccer in the Washington area, Carroll’s previous two seasons ended at Maryland when his alma mater, St. John’s, lost in consecutive NCAA tournaments appearances against the Terrapins.Tonight, for the fourth straight season, St. John’s meets Maryland in the postseason."I guess they’re saving money or something, but honestly, how many times are you going to put St. John’s up against Maryland?" said Carroll. His family wants......

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Hoyas regain their stride

Published: Nov 14, 2006

Ron Helmer is serious about success. In his 20seasons at Georgetown, the cross country coach has known little else. The Hoyas women’s team finished in the national top 10 for 15 consecutive seasons (1998-2003).But in 2004 they didn’t even make the NCAA championships, and last fall they were a disappointing 27th. With the success of years past threatening to pass right by the Hoyas’ latest group of runners, Helmer focused the beginning of this season on reestablishing his athletes’ level of expectation."It was not a casual conversation — when we......

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Terps raise banner, then raze Patriots

Published: Nov 13, 2006

With heat similar to the flames that accompanied the raising of their 2006 national championship banner over center court in a pregame ceremony Sunday in front of 8,345 at Comcast Center, the top-ranked Maryland women’s basketball team burned right through George Mason, 99-43.Sophomore Kristi Toliver, who didn’t practice Saturday due to a leg injury aggravated against Middle Tennessee State, propelled the Terrapins (2-0) with 16 points on six of seven shooting in just 25 minutes.Toliver and senior guard Shay Doron combined for 17 points of a 22-0 run that began......

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Terps face Hurricane conditions

Published: Nov 11, 2006

Ralph Friedgen described it as an NFL defense."This is by far the toughest defense we’ve played," said Maryland’s head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. "They’re big, they’re strong, they’re fast. They don’t have any weaknesses. I think all of them are probably first-round draft choices."Miami’s troubled season got even more difficult this week after the shooting death of defensive tackle Bryan Papa. But the Hurricanes still own a defense that is second-best (247.2 yards allowed per game) in Atlantic Coast Conference and best known for producing terrorizing pros like Ray......

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Colonials aim for auspicious leap

Published: Nov 10, 2006

George Washington women’s basketball coach Jim McKeown has missed the last three days of practice due to illness. His absence from Smith Center is as rare is it is for the Colonials to miss the NCAA tournament."It’s his ship, and we like him running it," said assistant coach Tajama Ngongba.The George Mason men, Maryland women and Colonials men all enjoyed banner seasons, stealing attention away from McKeown, who did what he does nearly every season: guide the Colonials to the NCAAs. "I’ll be honest. I think we were lost before......

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United faces offseason uncertainty

Published: Nov 10, 2006

Two days after D.C. United’s season-ending playoff loss to New England, defender Bobby Boswell found himself alone in the team locker room juggling a tennis ball."[Head coach] Peter [Nowak] yelled at me to go home," said Boswell.United players aren’t hanging their heads despite a disappointing 1-0 loss to New England in the MLS Eastern Conference final. But the way the season ended still hurts as much as the team’s 2005 finale, in which they were thumped, 4-0, by Chicago in the first round. D.C. finished with the league’s best regular-season......

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Poach finally settled at Santa Clara

Published: Nov 09, 2006

When Amare Stoudemire made his long-awaited return from injury in the Phoenix Suns’ season-opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 30, he was a great player returning to a team as good or better in his absence last season. The Suns squandered a 15-point first-quarter lead in that game and have lost three of their first four games.Amanda Poach made a similar return to the Santa Clara women’s soccer team this fall, according to Broncos coach Jerry Smith. He likes the analogy not only because Suns guard Steve Nash......

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Terps have point guard déjà vu

Published: Nov 07, 2006

Eric Hayes cannot avoid the comparisons. With his close-cropped haircut and skinny yet well-defined 6-foot-3 frame, the Maryland freshman point guard bears a striking resemblance to a player who helped lead the Terrapins to a national championship in 2002."He reminds me of when Steve Blake was freshman," said Maryland head coach Gary Williams without being asked directly. "Steve as a freshman wasn’t what he was as a senior. There’s a growing period there. When freshmen play, that means that they’re good players and hopefully that means they’ll improve each year......

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Early mistake ends United’s season

Published: Nov 06, 2006

If there was any solace for D.C. United in Sunday’s Major League Soccer Eastern Conference final at RFK Stadium, the beleaguered hosts played their best soccer in three months. It would’ve fit perfectly into the team’s 14-game winning streak during the first half of the season.Yet 2006 ultimately will be remembered for United’s late-season slide — just three wins after July 15 — and one early defensive lapse Sunday that allowed the visiting New England Revolution the only goal needed for a 1-0 win in front of 19,552 and a......

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Once the attacker, now the attacked

Published: Nov 04, 2006

It almost seems like last season when D.C. United was Major League Soccer’s most feared club, unbeaten in 14 straight games and able to trade punches with Spanish giant Real Madrid, one of the world’s best teams. Though it was just a few months ago, that swagger is gone, replaced by tension and doubt. With its season on the line in Sunday’s Eastern Conference final, United must rediscover its possession game and attacking flair against New England, a team that is unbeaten in eight of its last nine matches and......

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Gallaudet’s emotional ride nears end

Published: Nov 04, 2006

Gallaudet linebackers and brothers Josh and Calvin Doudt still aren’t in total agreement about their support of protests that culminated in this week’s firing of school president Jane Fernandes."Half-and-half for me," said Josh, a freshman."He’s stupid," said his sophomore older brother Calvin, jokingly.But both agree on their love of football, and through teammate J.J. Damas as interpreter, used the same word to describe the end of the Bison season: "Sad." On Sunday, Gallaudet (6-1) goes on the road to face the Bridgewater junior varsity in its final game in 2006,......

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GW aims for encore performance

Published: Nov 03, 2006

Karl Hobbs started out George Washington men’s basketball’s media day Wednesday by saying thanks."Most importantly, I just want to thank you for doing a great job of covering us last year," said Hobbs, who praised the attention the Colonials have received in his six seasons as head coach.He has good reason to start 2006-07 on the right foot with the working press, knowing 27-3 seasons are rare. With just one starter back, the challenges will be plentiful this season."That’s the thing that made last year’s team such a good basketball......

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Virginia chases redemption

Published: Nov 03, 2006

It might as well be the national championship.Tonight’s Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer tournament semifinals feature four of the top six teams in Soccer America’s current rankings. The defending national-champion Terrapins, at No. 6, are the lowest ranked of the group. Fifth-ranked Virginia was all set to be on top at the end of the regular season until a 2-1 loss last weekend to now No. 1 Wake Forest. With an expected legion of traveling fans at the Maryland SoccerPlex that could come closest to matching those of the hometown-favorite......

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Pressure rises as playoffs progress

Published: Nov 02, 2006

D.C. United survived its two-game series against New York. But the rest of the Major League Soccer playoffs — this weekend’s Eastern Conference final against New England and possibly the MLS Cup — will be decided in single games.United head coach Peter Nowak doesn’t like either format. "I don’t prefer the playoffs whatsoever," said Nowak, who pointed to teams that didn’t play well during the first half of the season but still advanced to the playoffs. In addition, unlike the NBA or Major League Baseball, he said a two-game series......

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Schmitt’s journey finds national stage

Published: Nov 02, 2006

Even high school football is bigger than college football in the small town of River Falls, Wis.Owen Schmitt should know. The Fairfax High graduate began his college football career in the fall of 2003 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, a Division III commuter college outside of Minneapolis."It was sellout during the high school games and then during our games, maybe half of the bleachers would’ve been filled up," said Schmitt.When Schmitt takes the field as the starting fullback for No. 3 West Virginia tonight against No. 5 Louisville, he’ll......

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United needs work on defensive side of the ball

Published: Nov 01, 2006

Alecko Eskandarian reluctantly gave his perspective Tuesday of D.C. United’s defensive performance in last weekend’s 1-1 tie with New York."My mom told me if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say it, but we definitely cannot lay balls on a platter to the other team’s forwards," said Eskandarian. "The guys know that, but it needs to be corrected."United defender Facundo Erpen was singled out for a number of questionable plays, including overplaying the ball, leaving his man or simply making a bad pass. Erpen called it one of......

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Oquendo gives Terps something special

Published: Oct 31, 2006

The picture oozes swagger and bravado.Maryland wide receiver Danny Oquendo’s headshot is one of the most recognizable on the Terrapins roster. With his head tilted slightly backwards and to the side, Oquendo bears a knowing grin that hints of the fireworks he can ignite on the field.Yet the sophomore from Hackensack, N.J., hasn’t caught a pass in almost three weeks."He’s a playmaker," said Terps senior cornerback Josh Wilson. "Playmakers sometimes aren’t going to get their plays here or there. But when they get the opportunity, they come through."Oquendo got his......

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Gomez is gift that keeps on giving

Published: Oct 30, 2006

There have been plenty of times this season when RFK Stadium has shaken under the groundswell of screaming and jumping D.C. United fans. But nothing matched the explosion of elation and relief as United secured its spot in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference finals on Sunday.Despite being in desperate straits for most of the second leg of its conference semifinal series with New York, United midfielder Christian Gomez once again displayed his league most-valuable-player credentials, rescuing United and the 21,455 fans in attendance with an 86th-minute goal to earn......

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Red zone warriors

Published: Oct 28, 2006

While the Howard offense continues to search for an identity — the Bison have used five quarterbacks in seven games — the defense has figured out where its most comfortable: deep in its own territory.Twice in last week’s 26-0 win over North Carolina A&T, the defense stopped the Aggies inside the red zone. The Bison (2-5, 1-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) have made six stands inside their own 15-yard line in the last two games."I like the fact that the guys responded to adversity," said Howard defensive coordinator Ron Bolton. "When......

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United feels the time is now

Published: Oct 28, 2006

D.C. United has grown tired of talking about its late regular-season slump. Last weekend’s 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals was meant to put that controversy to rest."We knew that when crunch time came around that we were going to be ready. We put together a pretty good performance against New York. We got a result that we wanted," said Bobby Boswell, who this week was named MLS defender of the year. "Same thing coming to this week. [New......

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Locals take success West

Published: Oct 27, 2006

In the spring of 2004, Pat Carroll and Ashley Banks led their respective high school soccer teams on a trip down Interstates 95 and 64 to Newport News. At Christopher Newport University, the West Springfield High boys and W.T. Woodson High girls each won a Group AAA Virginia state championship.Later that summer, Carroll and Banks also made a similar trip on Interstate 68 across the Cumberland Gap to Morgantown, W.Va. and West Virginia University. Success has followed. Banks and Carroll have helped the Mountaineers gain national acclaim and win Big......

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Olsen sets United’s tone

Published: Oct 26, 2006

D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell keeps a collection of Ben Olsen action shots on his computer."I think the camera people, whether they’re video or especially still shots, they love goofy pictures of Ben Olsen," Boswell said. "The way he presents himself and plays with his facial expressions, they just come out even more when a picture’s taken." Often called United’s heart and soul, Olsen is one of Major League Soccer’s most animated players, a gangly, 5-foot-8 midfielder with an unorthodox playing style ... He’s a hardened eight-year veteran who, at......

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George Mason & the Wannabes

Published: Oct 26, 2006

It was a team effort at the Colonial Athletic Association’s media day. Coaches pushed aside individual aspirations Wednesday to gush over George Mason’smagical run to the Final Four and success of CAA teams in other preseason and postseason tournaments last season.The Patriots dominated the spotlight on their home turf. But the competitive undercurrent still resonated."People actually thought we would be bitter about Mason’s success and we were everything but," said Hofstra coach Tom Pecora, who said he got goosebumps when he watched Mason run onto the court at the Final......

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Boswell named MLS’ top defender

Published: Oct 25, 2006

D.C. United second-year player Bobby Boswell was named Major League Soccer defender of the year, the league announced Tuesday."They’re great, but it’s just more a of team thing," said Boswell, an undrafted rookie last season who at 23 is the second youngest player to ever win the award. He also earned a similar honor last week from D.C. United. "It’s a tribute to my fellow defenders, my goalies and the guys in front of me that make my job so much easier. I just organize and make sure that they’re......

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Terps headline stacked ACC

Published: Oct 25, 2006

Virginia men’s basketball coach Dave Leitao has occasionally stopped by practice to check on the progress of the Cavaliers’ women’s team. Leitao’s impressions give a good indication of the excitement brewing in Charlottesville."His words to me were: ‘I’ve got two words for you: Monica Wright,’" said Virginia women’s coach Debbie Ryan. "It just gives you and idea of where things are."Securing the services of Wright, a McDonald’s All-American and Forest Park High graduate is the kind of move that may help the Cavaliers reach the elite level of Duke, North......

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Hollenbach makes run for it

Published: Oct 24, 2006

Maryland’s run-heavy offense is no secret. With three talented running backs, the Terrapins (5-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) have averaged 36.7 rushes per game to 24.4 pass plays in the first seven games. The ratio was 41-9 in favor of the running game in last weekend’s win over North Carolina State.But the last name most experts would associate with Maryland rushers is senior quarterback Sam Hollenbach. "I think he heard me down the sidelines scream, ‘Run,’ because he was kind of hesitant," said Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen of Hollenbach’s......

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For United, playoffs mean no margin for error

Published: Oct 21, 2006

It seems that lately the more D.C. United attacks, the more goals it gives away. United’s 41 shots in its final two matches were its biggest two-game total of the season, but both matches ended in defeat.D.C. also scored more goals (52) than any team in the league during the regular season, but don’t look for an offensive explosion when United begins its two-game series against New York at the Meadowlands."That’s been the focus here. Do we want a five-goal game in the playoffs? Not really, because those games can......

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Bowie State’s leg up

Published: Oct 21, 2006

Mike Lynn had reason to be nervous.With a wet field, the ball on opposing 26-yard line and a 14-14 tie score late in the fourth quarter of Bowie State’s recent game at Shaw, the Bulldogs head coachnormally wouldn’t even consider a field goal. But after some persistent lobbying by senior kicker John Riley, Lynn took a chance."I had to reassure him that it wasn’t out of my range. I just kept letting him know, ‘Coach, I can make it, I can make it, I can make it,’ " said Riley.......

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Opponents can’t rattle his cage

Published: Oct 20, 2006

Troy Perkins became the first-ever member of D.C. United to be named MLS goalkeeper of the year, the league announced Thursday. Perkins topped New England’s Matt Reis and Colorado’s Joe Cannon for the award in the league."I’m a bit shocked by this announcement, but I’m really happy," said Perkins. "During preseason, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish on the field in 2006. Winning this award was on the list and I’m happy to check it off. That said, there are more items to strive......

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Home is where the hoop is

Published: Oct 20, 2006

Just as Jose Olivero is starting to get comfortable, it’ll soon be time to move again. The Lehigh senior guard grew up with a father in the Army, and he’s never lived in one place for more than three years. "Home is where the family is," said Olivero, who was the only member of the All-Patriot League preseason team to attend Thursday’s league media day event at ESPN SportsZone. "Lehigh is home for me right now, but as soon as it starts to feel like home, I’m about to graduate."Olivero......

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Cavs find they have to grow up fast

Published: Oct 19, 2006

A short week means the Virginia football team has little time to dwell on two stunning defeats in a row. With five losses already, the young and inexperienced Cavaliers’ do-or-die stretch is now, not in November, as it was anticipated before the season began."It certainly has put the challenge on a lot of guys all at once that this isn’t a ripen-on-the-vine deal," said Virginia head coach Al Groh. "As much as they can and all of us can expedite the process will be a big factor in how fast......

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United gearing up for postseason

Published: Oct 19, 2006

D.C. United midfielder Freddy Adu’s mentality going into this weekend’s playoff-opener is dramatically different from last season."Last year I just felt like I wasn’t a big part of the team’s offense. I felt like I wasn’t a big part of the team, to be honest with you. I just kind of felt a little bit left out," said Adu, who was suspended for United’s first game of the postseason last year after voicing frustrations over a lack of playing time. "This year, obviously, I’m a big part of the team’s......

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Brady steps forward for Cardinals

Published: Oct 18, 2006

Coaches always seem to think Matt Brady should be a defender. In high school, both his club team and his varsity squad at Potomac in Dumfries, Va., initially started him at left back. "I was vocal. I did more organizing on the back line, not necessarily telling people what to do but helping people out. I think I did a little bit better when I could see the whole field," said Brady.Even Catholic head coach Billy Thiebaut started him in the midfield this fall. But after Brady scored in eight......

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Wilson pulls out all the stops

Published: Oct 17, 2006

If a lack of short-term memory is the epitome of a good defensive back, then Maryland’s secondary did a near-perfect job with self-imposed amnesia last weekend against Virginia. No player better embodied the Terrapins’ first-half troubles and second-half turnaround against the Cavaliers than senior cornerback Josh Wilson.With just over three minutes remaining in the first half, Wilson appeared to get thrown out of the back of the end zone in pass coverage by Virginia wide receiver Kevin Ogletree. But no flags were thrown, and Ogletree easily pulled in a 38-yard......

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Alarming end to season for United

Published: Oct 16, 2006

A nearly three-month stumble into the playoffs is complete.For the third time in a row and the fourth time in five games, D.C. United failed to capitalize on its chances and allowed a potential playoff opponent to slice up its defense, falling to Chicago, 3-2, in front of 18,652 at RFK Stadium.United midfielder Christian Gomez scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season, but not until after Chicago had already opened a two-goal lead. Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens added eight saves, including twice punching away Gomez free kicks in......

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United look to prove mettle against Fire

Published: Oct 14, 2006

It’s the final practice exam before the real test. If D.C. United is to demonstrate it has what it takes to win the MLS Cup, it’s got to prove it can beat the Fire.Last week’s loss to New England was more about missed chances than sluggish play, but Chicago has United’s number no matter how the team is doing. D.C. has lost twice in four meetings with the Fire this season, winning just once, and United has never beaten Chicago in the playoffs."They play destructive soccer, especially with us. They......

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Terps hope to turn tables

Published: Oct 14, 2006

Ralph Friedgen said it’s due to even out shortly.The breaks certainly haven’t gone in favor of the Terrapins’ and their head coach so far this season."The play that we fumbled in the backfield on the exchange might’ve gone for 25 or 30 yards. Everybody was blocked," said Friedgen, recalling Maryland running back Lance Ball’s fourth-quarter fumble in last weekend’s loss to Georgia Tech. "Sometimes I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. We’re just not getting a break anywhere. ... For a guy that prays a lot, it shouldn’t happen, should it?"The......

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Hoyas aim for work of art this year

Published: Oct 13, 2006

The moment Georgetown’s basketball team arrived at McDonough Gymnasium to meet with the media yesterday afternoon, their eyes were drawn to the new mural above, a montage of Hoyas basketball history.Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo, Iverson, Thompson. Names and faces that recall the 1984 national championship and times when the Hoyas were the toast of Washington."We usually come in the back way and go straight to the gym," said junior guard Jonathan Wallace. "I usually don’t get to see too much of what’s going on out here, but it’s impressive." Hoyas coach......

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Glennon warms to spotlight

Published: Oct 12, 2006

Sean Glennon is used to being recognized in the halls. The former Westfield High standout got plenty of attention in Northern Virginia while leading the Bulldogs to a state championship in 2003 and a 6-foot-4, blond-haired quarterback has a way of standing out in a crowd.But for the past two seasons, Glennon was more name than face in Blacksburg. Now six weeks into his first season as the Virginia Tech starter, anonymity is long gone."If I meet someone or see someone, I don’t really have to introduce myself," said Glennon.......

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Less is more for Marymount

Published: Oct 11, 2006

Forgive Lauren Gay if she gets distracted during her day job.Gay works 30 hours a week as a floor supervisor and assistant manager at Tommy Hilfiger in Tysons Corner. She gets college credit toward her fashion merchandising and design major at Marymount. Being responsible for her tuition, she also needs the money to pay bills. But she also happens to be a leading hitter for the Saints volleyball team.Just like Gay’s constant juggling of her packed daily schedule — which includes work, class and volleyball — the Saints (14-4, 4-0......

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Cavs defense on the ropes

Published: Oct 10, 2006

The defense was going to carry Virginia while it faced a rebuilding year on offense.But last week the Cavaliers surrendered 432 yards in a 31-21 loss to East Carolina that wasn’t as close as the score. The Pirates racked up 304 of those yards in the first half. In two of the past three games, veteran quarterbacks have been largely responsible for shredding the Cavaliers defense.East Carolina senior James Pinkney did a number on Virginia on Saturday, both in the air and on the ground. He passed for 224 yards......

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United’s Adu cries foul

Published: Oct 09, 2006

Freddy Adu is sick of the label he’s gotten."I swear,I think that — and it sucks — but I think that my reputation with the referees in this league is that I’m a diver," said Adu. "Whenever anybody fouls me and I go down, they’re not going to call the foul."Twice Adu was tripped up in the box in the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 loss to New England. Each time his pleas for a penalty kick went unanswered by referee Jair Marrufo.Regardless of whether his pleas were completely merited......

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United preps for postseason run

Published: Oct 07, 2006

D.C. United aims to make a strong impression in its final two regular-season matches, despite already clinching the Eastern Conference’s top playoff seed. But expect unusual lineups and substitutions tonight against the Revolution and next week versus Chicago."I have a conversation with my players just to make sure we’re going to find a good rhythm," said United head coach Peter Nowak. "Whoever is going to be on the field — either we’re going to choose to play with our starters or we’re going to play with our reserves — we......

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Campbell is Navy’s big weapon

Published: Oct 07, 2006

When Navy coach Paul Johnson informed his offense the night before last weekend’s game against Connecticut the Midshipmen’s run-first offense was likely to open with play-action and slot back Reggie Campbell on a deep route, Campbell didn’t think too much of it. He knew quarterback Brian Hampton would have multiple options.Hampton knew better."Once you get the ball in [Campbell’s] hands, even with two or three defenders in front of him, you can practically expect a touchdown," said Hampton. "That’s what was going through my mind when it came to that......

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United requires some playoff tuning

Published: Oct 06, 2006

If D.C. United was in any other professional soccer league in the world, the season effectively would be over. By clinching Major League Soccer’s best record last weekend, United (15-5-10) would have also claimed the championship trophy. The team’s final two regular season matches would be pure exhibition.But in America the only thing that matters is the playoffs. With a playoff opener on the road at Kansas City or New York just around the corner, there are three things United must do to prepare in the coming weeks:» Rediscover an......

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Terps’ youth serves well

Published: Oct 05, 2006

Could it be possible Maryland men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski has recruited too well? With only three seniors on the roster and underclassmen accounting for 16 of the 23 goals scored this season by the defending NCAA champions, are there enough spots to keep attracting the nation’s top high school prospects?"We’re always going to have spots," said Cirovski. "We’re going to continue to work hard in recruiting and try to attract kids here. Which young man wouldn’t want to come here?""Here" is Ludwig Field, which hosted a record crowd of......

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Gaski’s return is a kick

Published: Oct 04, 2006

The notion of playing Division I college soccer after a layoff of more than three years was unimaginable. But after Yobel Gaski led the Texas women to the national club soccer semifinals last November, then-coach Jake Moore suggested the Springfield native ought to think about trying out for the Longhorns varsity squad."He said, ‘You should really considering trying out for the actual team,’ and I just laughed because I figured if I wasn’t going to try out after nine months out of school, there’s no way after this much time......

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Bassuener’s travels lead under center

Published: Oct 03, 2006

Matt Bassuener has played football around the world. He’s got the war wounds and passport stamps to prove it.The Georgetown junior spent the second half of his sophomore year of high school in Helsinki, Finland, where he played for a club team."Since it’s so cold, you play on this turf, and they put a layer of sand over it so the ground doesn’t freeze," said Bassuener. "Every time you fall on this turf - it’s made for soccer but football’s growing so they don’t have fields for football - so......

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United can clinch top record

Published: Sep 30, 2006

D.C. United’s primary focus is getting sharp for the postseason, but it can secure the league’s best regular-season record and thus a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup with a victory Saturday in Houston."We just gotta make sure we take care of business," said United midfielder Josh Gros. "We’ve been trying to clinch it for a while."After two recent red cards, Gros has seen increased competition for his regular starting spot in the midfield from rookie Jeff Carroll, Stephen deRoux and newcomer Matias Donnet."The pressure’s always been there. Especially......

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Brown ready to show off

Published: Sep 30, 2006

Stadford Brownis the kind of quarterback who plays his best when the pressure mounts. But it’s been nearly two years since the Dunbar High graduate played in the Washington area. When he lines up under center in a packed Bulldog Stadium on Saturday with plenty of friends and family on hand, it’s going to be tough to contain himself."I know they’ve read about me in the papers from down here. I’ve told them about it, but it’s time to actually see it in person," said Brown, who will make his......

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United prefers to play game outside the lines

Published: Sep 28, 2006

For the final time this regular season D.C. United will play on a field with football lines when it visits the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on Saturday. Eleven years into Major League Soccer, its one of the regular annoyances players still endure as six clubs currently share fields with football teams."We all prefer to play in [London’s] Wembley Stadium. You play with what you get, and both teams play on the same surface so it doesn’t matter," said United assistant coach Tommy Soehn. Yet D.C. is 0-1-2 in its......

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Barbaresi, Navy takeflight

Published: Sep 28, 2006

Soccer has always been a passion for Cassie Barbaresi. So much so that in high school, she moved from Connecticut to Florida to attend the prestigious IMG Academies in Bradenton.There she ate, drank and lived soccer every day — she was named attacking player of the year at IMG in 2005 and most valuable player in 2006 — and could’ve easily enjoyed the spoils of her sport by playing for a Division I powerhouse. Instead she chose another academy, the Naval Academy, where the first thing she had to do......

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Andrulis has backyard project

Published: Sep 27, 2006

Since his arrival in the Washington area last fall, George Mason men’s soccer coach Greg Andrulis has immersed himself in the local soccer scene. But he’s no devotee of the local Major League Soccer team."Having been a Columbus Crew person for 10 years, it’s hard to be a D.C. United fan. I hope people understand that," said Andrulis, who joined the Crew during the MLS’s inaugural season in 1996.Now in his second season with the Patriots after being let go by Columbus at the beginning of the 2005 MLS season,......

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Gross’ style a big hit at Catholic

Published: Sep 26, 2006

Bill Gross has gotten in trouble several times this season with Catholic football coach Dave Dunn. Not for penalties or lack of effort, but for going at it a little too hard in practice."He plays so freakin’ hard when he blitzes, he’s trying to kill the quarterback. I hate to do it, but at times in practice I’ve got to pull the reins in on him a little bit," said Dunn. "I don’t mind if he’s hitting the running backs like that, but when he goes after Keith [Ricca] and......

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United’s formula: depth and stars

Published: Sep 25, 2006

In oddly simultaneous fashion, D.C. United is making a strong case for having the deepest roster in Major League Soccer while boasting two legitimate most valuable player candidates.With United desperate to shake itself out of a late-season slump and clinch home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs, D.C. head coach Peter Nowak made rookie Jeff Carroll the third United (15-4-10) player this month to make his first-ever start against the visiting New York Red Bulls on Saturday.Yet it was United’s two most consistent and important playmakers, Christian Gomez and Jaime......

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Looking back for a spark

Published: Sep 23, 2006

D.C. United is set to honor its first — and Major League Soccer’s first — league championship prior to kickoff against the New York Red Bulls this weekend. The look back hopefully will serve as inspiration for the current squad, which is a dismal 2-2-5 since a 14-game unbeaten run earlier in the season. "The final game in ’96 is one of the best games ever played — one of the most dramatic for sure every played — in the MLS Cup final," said United head coach Peter Nowak said......

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Navy defense sizes up

Published: Sep 23, 2006

It happens at the beginning of every televised Navy football game. The announcers run through the starting lineups and inevitably handicap the battle for the line of scrimmage in favor of Navy’s opponent, based entirely on size.Then the Midshipmen (3-0) stuff the run for four quarters and walk away with yet another victory. In three games this season, they’ve held the opposition to an average of just 86 yards on the ground."[The argument’s] not really played out because it’s true," said Navy senior linebacker David Mahoney (5-foot-9, 219 pounds). "We......

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Concern, not panic, for United, Nowak

Published: Sep 20, 2006

When D.C. United won its most recent MLS Cup in 2004, it finished the regular season with three straight wins. Last year United backslid into the playoffs with a loss and a tie and was promptly bounced in the first round.With Sunday’s loss to Chicago dropping D.C. to 2-2-5 since late July, United knows it needs to right the ship … and fast."We had it out today," said United midfielder Ben Olsen after practice on Tuesday. "[Head coach] Peter [Nowak] got into us and I think the good thing is,......

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A capital approach to water polo

Published: Sep 20, 2006

It’s the difference between playing outdoors in the warm sun while enjoying the notoriety of a big-time varsity college athlete and an indoor pool below street level in the middle of a city where people leave when it gets hot and internships are more valuable than scholarships. So why play men’s water polo in Washington instead of on the West Coast?"All my friends that play out there, they have to stay at school during the summers, play with the team, and it’s much more of a life commitment," said......

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Queen’s been a king

Published: Sep 19, 2006

How bad did it get for the Bowie State offensive line last weekend against Morgan State? Decimated by injuries, sophomore fullback Rashad Wright was forced to change his jersey and fill in midway through the game."He had played O-line a little bit last year before we moved him to fullback so we were able to do that," said Bulldogs coach Mike Lynn. "We changed his jersey, we put him at O-line, center, tackle, whatever. We had to move him around to a couple spots. That’s how bad it got for......

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United signs Ssejjemba for remainder of season

Published: Sep 16, 2006

Despite being down played by D.C. United technical director Dave Kasper earlier this week, Robert Ssejjemba’s hat trick for United in its reserve match last weekend against Real Salt Lake apparently made a lasting impression. United officials announced Friday the team has signed the 26-year-old Ugandan on loan from the minor-league Richmond Kickers for the remainder of the season."We have another option up top, considering that [forward Alecko Eskandarian] is right now healthy, and we do not have too many options," said United head coach Peter Nowak. "I think......

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Three-headed Bison

Published: Sep 16, 2006

Quarterback controversies are nothing new in football. But for the Howard football team, it’s more like an open audition.The Bison began preseason with five different contenders. Out of those, senior William Blanden (5-foot-8, 185 pounds), sophomore Martin Decembert (6-1, 190) and freshman Floyd Haigler (6-2, 195) emerged as front-runners."I knew it was going to be a competition out of all of us because at least three of us could play for any team in the conference as a starter," said Haigler.In last weekend’s 46-7 loss to Hampton, each took their......

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Meriwether returns home in style

Published: Sep 15, 2006

A visit to the monuments and the White House, check. An excursion to Georgetown, check. A pasta party at the parents’ house with teammates and coaches, check. UCLA senior volleyball player Nana Meriwether’s got it all covered in her latest visit back home to Washington.All that’s left is for the former Sidwell Friends star and Potomac native is to put on a show in her first collegiate matches in the area since she transferred from Duke to UCLA as a freshman. "I haven’t played back here for four years so......

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D.C. gets back in Eastern flow

Published: Sep 13, 2006

With nearly a full roster — forward Alecko Eskandarian is still listed as doubtful but defender Bobby Boswell, midfielder Josh Gros and midfielder Christian Gomez are all expected back in the lineup — D.C. United’s match tonight against New England will be its first against an MLS Eastern Conference opponent in nearly a month. D.C. maintains a nearly insurmountable 13-point lead in the conference with six games to go, but there is still plenty to achieve. Leading the Western Conference, F.C. Dallas (14-8-4) is just five points behind United, and......

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Infante’s juggling act

Published: Sep 13, 2006

Paula Infante doesn’t get to see her biggest fan often during field hockey season.But then, her biggest fan is her son, 5-year-old Augustine, who really doesn’t care that his mom led Maryland to an NCAA title and was named 2005 national player of the year."[Last season] every time I would come home, he would be like, ‘Mom, did you win again? Oh my God, Mom, why do you win all the time?’" said Infante. "He was there for the national championship so it was exciting. He didn’t realize what we......

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Ssejjemba makes United roster charge

Published: Sep 12, 2006

With the Major League Soccer roster deadline days away, Robert Ssejjemba made one heck of a guest appearance for D.C. United. But it’s no guarantee he’ll be a late addition for the postseason.Ssejjemba had a hat trick in United’s 4-1 reserve match win over Real Salt Lake on Sunday. One goal came via penalty kick and another was a simple one-touch finish on an empty net."He did well, but we’re looking at all our options now," said United technical director Dave Kasper, who watched the match. The roster deadline is......

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No backup plans at UVa., Navy

Published: Sep 12, 2006

At Virginia football media day last month, backup quarterback Kevin McCabe couldn’t help but feel like a forgotten man. He poked fun at the sports information staff, needling them to get him some press. After last weekend, it’s no longer a laughing matter."It’s picked up here a little bit in the past week here, I’d say. I was just joking, saying I wonder if anyone knew I was still on the roster," said McCabe, a redshirt junior who came off the bench in the fourth quarter against Wyoming to complete......

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Officially, United finds itself struggling

Published: Sep 11, 2006

When asked to explain the difference between his team’s first 20 games (13-1-6) and its last six (1-2-3), United head coach Peter Nowak responded succinctly: "Officiating."Asked if he could expand on that: "Not really."Nowak is mindful of the potential cost of voicing dissent. But in Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake, D.C. dominated possession in the 1-1 draw and Salt Lake had only seven fouls while United had 15.Opponents had more fouls than D.C. in 10 of its first 20 matches. United has registered the same or more fouls in......

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United limps into meeting with Salt Lake

Published: Sep 09, 2006

D.C. United will appear much like a team playing a reserve match Saturday against Real Salt Lake. United has four regular starters suspended — Bobby Boswell, Josh Gros, Christian Gomez and Alecko Eskandarian — and forward Jaime Moreno is listed as questionable with IT band tendonitis.Defender Brandon Prideaux is expected to make his return to the starting lineup for the first time since May, and second-year forward Matt Nickell, who has four goals and four assists in the reserve league, could make his first start of the year.Argentinean Matias Donnet,......

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Hoyas adjusting to passing fancy

Published: Sep 09, 2006

When Georgetown first-year head coach Kevin Kelly arrived from Navy last winter, he brought an option offense that thrived for the Midshipmen while Kelly was linebackers coach under Paul Johnson.But as Navy racked up 70 rushes and threw the ball just six times in its season opener, the Hoyas passed 34 times against Holy Cross, all coming from sophomore quarterback Ben Hostetler in his second career start."I didn’t really know what to expect," said Hostetler, who had 20 completions for 168 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a......

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United a house of cards

Published: Sep 08, 2006

D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian will saerve a one-game suspended for the second time this season on Saturday thanks to the yellow card he earned in the 23rd minute of last weekend’s win over Chivas USA."I’ll just sit in the stands," said Eskandarian. "I’ll probably be in a corner somewhere by myself being upset that I’m not able to be down there helping the team, but just be cheering as loud as I can."Actually, he’ll have plenty of company — starters Josh Gros, Bobby Boswell and Christian Gomez are also......

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United aims to drink from U.S. Open Cup

Published: Sep 06, 2006

Having already clinched a playoff spot, D.C. United again turns its attention to the U.S. Open Cup and what would be the team’s first trophy of the 2006 season."It’s been made pretty clear last year we were pretty unhappy not to get any silverware, any trophies out of the whole season," said United forward Alecko Eskandarian. "Our goal this season was to try to get all of them, this being one of them."A win earns United a trip to face either the Los Angeles Galaxy or Houston Dynamo in the......

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United, Chivas streak toward Sunday’s matchup

Published: Sep 02, 2006

It’s a game that could decide who gets named Major League Soccer coach of the year.D.C. United’s Peter Nowak was a lock for the award before his team’s current five-game winless streak. Meanwhile, under first-year head coach Bob Bradley — who took over in the offseason following his franchise’s dismal inaugural season — Chivas is unbeaten in its last six matches (2-0-4) and locked in a battle for Western Conference playoff position.Chivas journeyman forward Ante Razov, who has been in MLS since its inception, is a front-runner for postseason honors......

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Adu eager to get back in lineup

Published: Sep 01, 2006

Fatigue isn’t an issue for a 17-year-old like Freddy Adu. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t benefited from the rest he’s been afforded in D.C. United’s last two matches.Adu wasn’t listed as injured for the U.S. Open Cup victory over New York or last weekend’s loss to Los Angeles, but a bone bruise in his left knee worsened in training last week and limited him to just the final 30 minutes against the Galaxy.Adu said Thursday that he’s fine and looking forward to a chance to get back in United’s......

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Donnet welcomes fresh start with United

Published: Aug 30, 2006

Matias Donnet will put on a D.C. United jersey for the first time tonight when the team travels to Richmond for an exhibition match against the minor league Richmond Kickers.It’s been a long time since the 26-year-old Argentinean, acquired by United this month and officially unveiled Tuesday, played for a club that seemed to care for him."I had some great years in Argentina playing at the professional level, but unfortunately for me, I had an injury which set me back," said Donnet, through an interpreter. "The last year I haven’t......

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Quaranta comments draw coach’s ire

Published: Aug 29, 2006

D.C. United coach Peter Nowak responded Monday to Los Angeles Galaxy forward Santino Quaranta’s criticism of his former team following the Galaxy’s lopsided win over United on Saturday. "[Quaranta] needs to be more worried about making the playoffs than looking at our team," said Nowak.United traded Quaranta to Los Angeles three weeks ago after five and a half seasons in D.C. Following the Galaxy’s 5-2 triumph Saturday, Quaranta said he knew United could be exploited defensively and that its defense was "not disciplined enough." "It was his decision to move......

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Donovan, Galaxy gives cause for concern

Published: Aug 28, 2006

Opponents have learned lessons about breaking down D.C. United’s defense. Just ask Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan."I watched a game last week against Colorado and after they gave up the first goal, they were all over the place," said Donovan, who scored two goals and caused a third in Saturday’s 5-2 thrashing of United. "But they get down and they start throwing people forward andthere’s a lot of space."Those comments drew little argument from United."After the goal in the second half, [Donovan is] right, we didn’t do anything," said......

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Eagles experience déjà vu win against Hoyas

Published: Aug 28, 2006

Sal Caccavale had been there before, and he knew exactly how to get the same result.With just over two minutes remaining against Georgetown on Sunday, Caccavale buried a free kick from just outside the box — just as he had done in 2004 — scoring his second goal in two games and giving the Eagles a 2-1 victory over the Hoyas to reclaim the D.C. College Cup at American University."I had a free kick in overtime there two years ago — same spot, same result. I couldn’t have put it......

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Healthy United welcome MLS champs

Published: Aug 26, 2006

Too bad Wednesday’s thrashing of the New York Red Bulls doesn’t count in the MLS standings. Without that match, D.C. United is currently suffering through its longest winless streak of the season — four matches.The Galaxy also advanced to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Wednesday, but the defending MLS Cup champions are having a much tougher time in league play. Los Angeles has won two of its last three matches — former United forward Santino Quaranta scored in each victory — but still resides in the Western Conference cellar.In......

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Terps banking on stadium improvements

Published: Aug 25, 2006

No less than an appearance by Maryland governor Robert L. Ehrlich underlined the importance of the $20 million sponsorship agreement announced Thursday between the University of Maryland and Chevy Chase Bank.Under the 25-year deal, the Terrapins’ football stadium will be known as Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium, with the funds going toward an estimated $50 million that will be spent on stadium renovations planned to be completed for the 2009 and 2010 seasons."The coach is the expert here, but we all know what contemporary major college athletics is......

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Carroll directs the ship for a night, but knows who’s really in charge

Published: Aug 25, 2006

D.C. United midfielder Brian Carroll started Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal win over Red Bull New York wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in his professional career.In a sport with little in-game coaching, team captain can be a large responsibility. But the position is more about prestige than tactics."I think it’s a respect of the coaches and a little bit of your entire team," said Carroll. "It just makes you take that much more responsibility in making sure that the team performs well."In the most recent high-profile......

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AU’s Comstock opts for Brand logic

Published: Aug 25, 2006

American University director of athletics Joni Comstock resigned Thursday to become a senior vice president for the NCAA and report directly to president Myles Brand."She informed us a day or two ago that things were moving in this direction," said AU spokesman David Taylor. "We will be working both the oversight of the department during the transition while she’s here - she’ll be here until at least through September - and we’ll also look at a search process."Comstock has experience at the national level — this past season she chaired......

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Locals enter elite Florida soccer program

Published: Aug 24, 2006

Five area soccer players are among 15 new members of the elite U.S. soccer under-17 residency program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.Alonzo Carter (Fairfax/Fairfax High), Ryan Gracia (Rockville/Wootton High), Axel Levry (Fort Washington/Oxon Hill High), Israel Sesay (Gaithersburg/Quince Orchard High) and Howard Turk (Fairfax/Flint HillPrep) this week will join 35 other players at the same invitation-only program that has produced some of the biggest names in American soccer. "It’s been the goal all along in his development as a player," said Greg Turk, Howard Turk’s uncle and club soccer......

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Terps get historic with lax hires

Published: Aug 24, 2006

Two of the most storied players in Maryland women’s lacrosse history have returned to the Terps to fill the coaching void left by Cindy Timchal’s departure.Cathy Nelson Reeseand Jen Adams, who each won four national championships with the Terrapins as players, have been announced as Maryland’s head coach and associate head coach, respectively."Cathy and Jen are considered to be the best up-and-coming coaching duo in women’s lacrosse nationally," said Terrapins associate athletic director Randy Eaton.Timchal ended her 16 years as head coach earlier this month to start the women’s lacrosse......

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Dyachenko finding his way in the middle

Published: Aug 23, 2006

D.C. United’s recent trip to the Pacific Northwest was a dream come true for rookie Rod Dyachenko. He got a rare chance to see the field as a substitute against Real Madrid in Seattle and did so in front of his parents, who live across the Canadian border in Vancouver and came down for the match.Stuck for hours in the Seattle airport the next morning — the day of the foiled terrorist plot in London — Dyachenko got a healthy dose of humility when he was the victim to one......

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Another in a series of ties leave United players feeling unfit

Published: Aug 22, 2006

Multiple D.C. United players spoke of a long MLS season and tired legs following Saturday’s 1-1 tie with Colorado. All the more reason for two plus hours of practice Monday, which concluded with a serious fitness circuit."We just haven’t had good enough training sessions," said assistant coach Tommy Soehn. "Now we’re going to get back into it. Obviously, the fitter you are, the sharper you are with you mind and you start making better decisions.""It’s a long season and I think it is wearing on some of the guys a......

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Healthy Stokes returns to United lineup after year absence

Published: Aug 21, 2006

In giving David Stokes his first start since April 2005 — and his first appearance in more than a year — D.C. United coach Peter Nowak made sure Stokes didn’t have time to get nervous by announcing the decision too early."I found out when I got here to the game," said Stokes after playing the first 45 minutes of Saturday’s 1-1 tie with Colorado. "I prepared just in case. I knew [defender Bryan] Namoff was out."The 24-year-old defender from Dumfries has battled through a sequence of ankle and leg injuries......

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Adu, United need to get offensive

Published: Aug 19, 2006

D.C. United coach Peter Nowak was very intent on raising the fitness level of his players in Wednesday’s scoreless tie with the New York Red Bulls. Only one D.C. United starter played less than 77 minutes — Freddy Adu, who was substituted at halftime as a precautionary measure due to a sore foot. Adu was back on the training field with the team on Thursday."We have a couple days off, and we have a tough schedule in the last couple of weeks," said Nowak. "I just want to keep the......

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Donnet to don the black and red

Published: Aug 16, 2006

D.C. United’s fourth Argentinian acquisition in three years made his first appearance in training on Tuesday.Matias Donnet, a 26-year-old midfielder, has worked out an agreement with United, completing a move from one of Argentina’s most storied clubs, Boca Juniors.Donnet follows Facundo Erpen and Lucio Filomeno, who were acquired last year, and Christian Gomez, who helped win an MLS Cup title after joining United in 2004. Filomeno has since returned to Argentina, but Erpen and Gomez are regulars in United’s first eleven.Donnet scored a game-tying goal against AC Milan in the......

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Revamped Red Bulls feature familiar faces

Published: Aug 16, 2006

The New York Red Bulls have enjoyed plenty of attention in the last week. Not only did Bruce Arena take over the coaching staff, but two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash made a cameo appearance in training, and the Red Bulls played European champions Barcelona in front of 79,000 fans on Saturday."Our boys had a great experience the other night against Barcelona," said new Red Bulls assistant coach John Harkes. "We’re hoping that they can learn from some of the things in that game, that tremendous experience of being exposed against......

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Rogers leaves Terps to go pro in Europe

Published: Aug 16, 2006

Less than two weeks before the first game of the season, Maryland sophomore midfielder Robbie Rogers has left the defending national champion Terrapins to sign with Dutch first division club SC Heerenveen."This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that came suddenly," said Rogers. "However, I feel that I am ready to make soccer my career, and this was an opportunity I could not pass up."Rogers, originally from Southern California, started 20 of 22 matches as a freshman, notching seven goals and five assists. He was a two-time Parade All-American in high school."This......

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Bulldogs start a new rendezvous

Published: Aug 15, 2006

Westfield football coach Tom Verbanic gets a smile on his face when he thinks back to 2003, when quarterback Sean Glennon and wide receiver Eddie Royal led the Bulldogs to an undefeated season and a Division 6 Virginia state title.When plays didn’t run as scripted, Glennon still frequently found his first option, Royal, albeit not where the coaching staff had planned."I can remember saying to Sean on the sideline, ‘Why did you throw the ball here?’ He’d get a grin on his face and say, ‘Because it’s Eddie,’ " said......

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United sets stage for rest of season

Published: Aug 11, 2006

With the summer "silly season" finally over, D.C. United can get back to business. Eleven MLS regular season games remain and the team also expects to make a deep run in the U.S. Open Cup.But D.C.’s success in three international friendlies over the last month, culminating in Wednesday’s superbly-played 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in Seattle, leaves a lasting impression on the state of American soccer."I can definitely tell you that when they go back to wherever that their perception will change a little bit as far as I think......

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D.C. deals rights to two players to New York

Published: Aug 11, 2006

Two transactions this week could pave the way for a couple of new additions to United’s roster before its next match.United traded the rights to former players Dema Kovalenko and Shawn Kuykendall to Red Bull New York on Thursday for a partial allocation. This follows the trade of forward Santino Quaranta to Los Angeles on Tuesday, for which United also received a partial allocation and a draft pick."We may be able to be in the position to pull off a player signing or two by Monday," said United technical director......

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United faces Real challenge this time

Published: Aug 09, 2006

Who says soccer players have to go to Europe to face the world’s the best competition?"I was telling a couple of my friends that I feel like I’m in the Champions League — Chelsea on a Saturday and Real Madrid on a Wednesday," said D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian. "It’s pretty exciting, any player’s dream."United pummeled Scottish champions Celtic, 4-0, on July 11, and with eight players and the coaching staff onthe MLS All-Star team, had a major hand in last weekend’s 1-0 upset win over English Premier League titleholder......

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United displays worth against out-of-towners

Published: Aug 07, 2006

If the first two games are any indication, Spanish giants Real Madrid could be in for a stern test when a number of D.C. United players play their third international friendly of the summer Wednesday in Seattle.United had three out of the four MLS All-Stars to play a full 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over Chelsea in Saturday’s MLS All-Star game in Chicago.Bobby Boswell, Facundo Erpen and Josh Gros all went the distance in the upset win over the reigning English Premier League champs. Alecko Eskandarian and Freddy Adu......

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United craves improved Open play

Published: Aug 01, 2006

It was a loss that epitomized D.C. United’s disappointing 2005 season.Matched against F.C. Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals at Maryland SoccerPlex last August, United dominated much of the game. But leading, 1-0, it all unraveled late. First, United’s Dema Kovalenko was ejected; then Brian Carroll missed a sitter with just moments remaining. Dallas striker Carlos Ruiz equalized just seconds from the final whistle, and hometown forward Abe Thompson (Maryland/W.T. Woodson High) sealed the visitors’ victory in the penalty shootout."That still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. That’s......

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Late-lead losses a Real-ity

Published: Jul 31, 2006

D.C. United’s struggles on far western road trips are no surprise, but the team’s occasional habit of allowing late goals on the road is a concern.United (13-2-6) could still be on the verge of the MLS single-season record for points, but in four of the past five seasons, D.C. has failed to win a single regular season game in the Mountain or Western time zones. United fell at Real Salt Lake, 2-1, on Saturday. Both Real Salt Lake goals came on penalty kicks, in the 90th minute and stoppage play,......

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Eskandarian a lock to start against Salt Lake

Published: Jul 29, 2006

D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak is famous for grossly unhelpful remarks when asked which players he’ll start for any particular match. But even Nowak acknowledged this week that forward Alecko Eskandarian is essentially a lock for the first eleven against Real Salt Lake."He deserves to be on the field," said Nowak. "I think the game in Chicago told us, he’s a guy who really gives us a spark and makes us better. I’m sure he wants to be on the field, and I’m sure he’s not going to get......

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Snubbed among the stars

Published: Jul 26, 2006

It should’ve been eight.With slightly less than half the season remaining, it’s been well established that D.C. United is the class of Major League Soccer. United (13-1-6) is 20 points ahead in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, unbeaten in 14 straight games and received more than adequate recognition with coach Peter Nowak and seven of 18 players having been selected for the MLS All-Star game.But the closest defensive midfielder Brian Carroll will get to the match against Chelsea on Aug. 5 in Chicago will be the sofa in front of......

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United to face Real Madrid in Seattle

Published: Jul 25, 2006

It could be the perfect occasion for Major League Soccer’s best team to upset a world power.D.C. United announced Monday it will travel to Seattle on Aug. 9 to play a friendly against Spanish power Real Madrid at Qwest Field.Currently on a franchise-record 14-game unbeaten streak, United is all but a lock for the MLS playoffs. After this coming weekend’s visit to Real Salt Lake, D.C. has nearly three weeks before its next regular season game against New York on Aug. 16. The MLS All-Star game and a U.S. Open......

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Eskandarian is key to United’s run

Published: Jul 24, 2006

If there was any speculation Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber’s addition of D.C. United’s Alecko Eskandarian to the All-Star team was a charity case, Eskandarian put that notion to rest against Chicago on Saturday.Not only did he keep alive United’s team record unbeaten streak (14 games), he also strengthened his case for MLS comeback player of the year and made a strong argument for his own inclusion in D.C.’s starting lineup with his toe-poke goal in the 74th minute. Eskandarian, who entered the game to start the second half,......

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D.C. gets first look at Toyota Park

Published: Jul 22, 2006

This weekend D.C. United gets its first look at Toyota Park, which officially opened on June 25. The 20,000-seat venue is the fourth soccer-specific stadium to come on line for Major League Soccer, and it will host the MLS all-star game on Aug. 5. Seven United players and coach Peter Nowak will return to Chicago for that match.With construction underway on facilities in Colorado and Toronto, and planning in advanced stages for Red Bull New York’s stadium in Harrison, N.J., the best team in the league is at the back......

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Erpen returns to lead United

Published: Jul 21, 2006

D.C. United pushed through a lengthy training session in the muggy midday heat Thursday. The practice once again included plenty of fitness drills, as well as work on the ball. Tuesday’s workout had midfielder Ben Olsen telling a television crew to make sure they got everything on film because he would need the footage to present to his lawyer.Head coach Peter Nowak delivered a fiery talk midway through practice, reminding his players to push themselves because everybody is gunning for Major League Soccer’s best team.DefenderFacundo Erpen also returned to the......

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United’s Harkes to join Arena with Red Bull New York

Published: Jul 20, 2006

D.C. United youth development director and former captain John Harkes will make his Major League Soccer coaching debut as an assistant to Bruce Arena with Red Bull New York, according to a source.With the move, Harkes was expected to step down from his position with D.C. United and as a soccer analyst for Comcast SportsNet.Harkes could not be reached for comment.Arena, who ended an eight-year tenure as U.S.national team head coach last week, was announced as New York’s head coach and sporting director on Tuesday.Harkes is originally from Kearny, N.J.,......

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Boswell keeps head in the game

Published: Jul 19, 2006

With his emphatic header goal off Christian Gomez’s free kick in last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Celtic FC, Bobby Boswell became the first MLS player — and perhaps one of the first players ever — to score against both the Scottish and English Premier League champions in the same year."They’re friendlies, they’re their preseason, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go out and try to show well for yourself and your team and your league," said Boswell, who has scored just four times in the regular season during his two-year......

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All Examiner Girls soccer

Published: Jul 19, 2006

Player of the YearStephanie HyltonLake Braddock, Junior, defenderDespite missing the first half of the season with a knee injury, Hylton put her superb ball skills, quality defending and unmatched field vision on display in the biggest games, capped by anchoring the defense in shutout wins in the Group AAA state semifinals and final. She scored an overtime winner against West Springfield in a rare appearance during the regular season, and she finished with two tallies and four assists for the year. Verbally committed to Virginia Tech.Coach of the YearLiz Pike,......

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Adu heads All-Star cast for United

Published: Jul 18, 2006

The upcoming MLS All-Star game against Chelsea is nearly a rematch of last year’s exhibition between the English Premier League champions and D.C. United. Two United players received their first all-star nods on Monday and were among four more D.C. players selected to the MLS All-Star team. United’s total of seven players is more than three times the number from any other MLS team - four teams have two players. United head coach Peter Nowak, who will coach the MLS All-Star team, chose Freddy Adu, Bobby......

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All Examiner Boys soccer

Published: Jul 18, 2006

Player of the YearEber MartinezGar-Field, junior, midfield/forwardThe key element of the Indians’ resurgence this season, Martinez finished with 20 goals and 11 assists. Strong, skilled and able to deliver precise balls over long distance, Martinez bent in a spectacular free kick for Gar-Field’s only goal in the Group AAA state final. The Parade All-American and Cardinal District co-player of the year also scored four goals against Landstown in the state quarterfinals.Coach of the YearMark Markiewicz, Gar-FieldIn his first season, Markiewicz brought the perfect combination guidance and understanding to the Indians,......

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All Examiner Softball

Published: Jul 17, 2006

Player of the YearDana Ward, Sherwood, Junior, pitcherIn her first full season in the circle, the left-hander and repeat All-Examiner selection was the most dominating hurler this side of the Potomac. Pitching every inning of every game, Ward led the Warriors (16-3) to a 4A North Region title, finishing the season with a 0.65 ERA, 256 strikeouts, 12 shutouts, eight no-hitters, four one-hitters and one perfect game. She also hit .404 with one home run and seven RBIs, and she’ll carry a 14-game hitting streak into her senior year.Coach of......

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All Examiner Softball

Published: Jul 17, 2006

Player of the YearDorian ShawRobinson, junior, first baseThe undisputed most dangerous bat in the area, the repeat All-Examiner selection’s prowess at the plate forced opponents to constantly adjust their tactics. The Northern Region player of the year and heavily recruited Division I prospect was walked 35 times — 22 intentional — yet finished the season with a .519 batting average, including seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Shaw also had a .995 fielding percentage, committing just one error all season.Coach of the YearDennis Day, West PotomacOne yearafter guiding the Wolverines......

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United’s magic number continues to dwindle

Published: Jul 17, 2006

It may only be the middle of July, but thanks to D.C. United’s historic 13-game unbeaten streak — now alone as the fourth-best in MLS history — it’s not too early to look at the playoffs.With 13 regular season games remaining, United’s magic number to earn a berth in the postseason is six. But in reality it could be much lower due to any ties.Saturday’s 3-2 home win over Columbus moved D.C. (13-1-5, 44 points) within one point of the totals of the bottom two teams to qualify for the......

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United requires forward thinking

Published: Jul 15, 2006

The most interesting question facing D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak Saturday night is who to start at forward. Alecko Eskandarian is suspended after last weekend’s ejection. Although players can raise questions with the league’s disciplinary committee, red cards cannot be overturned unless issued to the wrong player, according to FIFA. Jaime Moreno has also been missing all week andwas in Los Angeles to attend the ESPYs on Wednesday. "[Moreno] needs a break. It’s not a physical break, just the mental part," said Nowak. "Even with Christian [Gomez], we didn’t......

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Nowak: World Cuppers may not start

Published: Jul 14, 2006

A World Cup pedigree may not mean a place in the starting 11 at the MLS All-Star game, according to D.C. United coach Peter Nowak.The All-Star team announced Wednesday includes five U.S. national team members who played in the World Cup. But Nowak, who will coach the team against English Premier League champion Chelsea on Aug. 5, is not required to start all 11 first-team selections."I always feel like even the players are national team players, but they actually didn’t play many games in our league," said Nowak. "We’re supposed......

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United’s unique problem: Extreme depth

Published: Jul 12, 2006

When Ben Olsen made his first start in over two months for D.C. United last weekend, it didn’t come as expected at the expense of midfielder Clyde Simms, who filled in admirably for Olsen while he was away at the World Cup.Instead, Olsen gave Christian Gomez a much-needed break, getting a rare chance to take over the vaunted attacking midfield position."I enjoyed that the other night in Christian’s role," said Olsen. "Fortunately and unfortunately, Christian’s one of the best players in the league and he’s a large part of our......

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D.C. gets taste of Scotch

Published: Jul 12, 2006

Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen and Santino Quaranta were among a group of American players to get a first-hand look at the intensity of a Celtic home game against Rangers in Glasgow last December when the U.S. traveled to an exhibition match against Scotland."[U.S. midfielder] Claudio [Reyna] couldn’t sit with us because he would’ve gotten bombarded," said Olsen.Reyna spent a number of seasons with Rangers, Celtic’s cross-town rival and Scotland’s other top team. Together the teams are called the "Old Firm" due to their domination of Scottish soccer, including a combined......

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United’s Eskandarian red about card

Published: Jul 11, 2006

D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian contacted the MLS Players Union on Monday to appeal his red card in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Columbus."Seeing the replays, I still don’t think it’s a red. Obviously, I knew what was going on and stuff like that," said Eskandarian, who delayed a free kick when he ran in front of Crew defender Marcos Gonzalez and prevented him from getting the ball in the 65th minute. Eskandarian said he deserved a yellow card, but he was stunned when referee Mauricio Navarro showed him a straight......

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United remains on cruise control as team sets franchise road win mark

Published: Jul 10, 2006

With an ever-increasing lead in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference and growing assault on the record books, D.C. United appears to be on cruise control.With Saturday’s 1-0 win in Columbus, D.C. (12-1-5) matched a franchise-best record of seven games unbeaten on the road and equaled the fourth best unbeaten streak in league history with a 12-game run overall. But United’s last six victories have all been by a slim one-goal margin, including five 1-0 wins."We’ve learned a lot from a couple of the earlier games where we had a 1-0......

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United puts unbeaten streak on line

Published: Jul 08, 2006

Now unbeaten in eleven 11 games, D.C. United heads to Columbus for the second time this season. D.C. tied the Crew, 1-1, at Crew Stadium on May 20 before pummeling them, 5-1, at RFK Stadium on May 31, United’s biggest win of the season.But Columbus also enters on an unbeaten streak - four consecutive draws - and they managed a 1-1 tie in Houston on Tuesday with 11 players missing, including 10 due to injuries. The Crew has won one of its last nine.United goalkeeper Troy Perkins continues to lead......

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Eskandarian crafts another comeback

Published: Jul 07, 2006

A breakaway in the 90th minute Tuesday against F.C. Dallas was a perfect opportunity for Alecko Eskandarian to cement his return to health. After missing four games with a lingering MCL sprain, the D.C. United forward finally was back on the field as a late substitute. Unfortunately, his lack of sharpness showed through, and he missed high and wide."I did everything I wanted to do, and the keeper nudged me a little bit right as I was going to shoot. It just threw my mechanics off a little bit," said......

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Nowak’s player side brings out United’s best

Published: Jul 04, 2006

The mood has been congenial in the D.C. United locker room this season. The abundance of smiles and laughter are easily attributed to United’s best start in franchise history, a 10-game unbeaten streak and a league-leading record of 10-1-5 at the season’s midway point. But there’s an underrated aspect: The improved humor of head coach Peter Nowak."This year his jokes have been awesome," said forward Alecko Eskandarian. "He’s been really good at making fun of us this year whereas in the past, his jokes weren’t that good. I don’t know......

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United cuts short holiday weekend

Published: Jul 03, 2006

While the Washington region enjoys what for most is an extended July 4th holiday weekend, D.C. United had its cut short, returning to training Sunday after three days off following last Wednesday’s 3-2 victory at Kansas City. A number of United players spent much of those days together watching World Cup quarterfinal matches.Coming off a 4-0-2 record in June, Eastern Conference-leading United (10-1-5) starts another busy stretch of four games in 11 days with an Independence Day visit to the home of Western Conference-leading F.C. Dallas on Tuesday."That’s how it......

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Boswell eyes possible Chelsea reunion

Published: Jun 30, 2006

When English powerhouse Chelsea faces off against a team of MLS All-Stars on Aug. 5, the one player the two-time English premier league champions must fear is D.C. United defender Bobby Boswell.Okay, that’s a stretch. But Boswell was the one player to score against Chelsea in last year’s friendly at FedEx Field. Boswell, Facundo Erpen and Kansas City’s Jimmy Conrad are currently in a close race in all-star voting for the third and final starting defender spot in the All-Star game. The MLS All-Star game against Chelsea will take place......

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First-half phenoms

Published: Jun 28, 2006

It’s not the best start in Major League Soccer history. But it’s close.The Los Angeles Galaxy opened MLS’ inaugural season in 1996 with 12 straight wins, and a number of teams have reached the 16-game mark with just two losses. But with a victory or a tie in Kansas City tonight, D.C. United (9-1-5) can become the first team in league history to reach the season’s midpoint with just one loss. "For the most part, we really do go into the season thinking that we’re going to be good," said......

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Olsen returns to United fold

Published: Jun 27, 2006

D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen didn’t see or hear much American coverage while playing for the United States at the World Cup in Germany. But since he returned on Saturday, he’s become fully aware of the critical assessments of the U.S. performance."We didn’t get much of it. I’m hearing it now, coming back, about a lot of stuff and things that have been said from people who don’t know soccer," said Olsen, who made his first and only appearance in the loss to Ghana. "I shouldn’t be worried about that......

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Results heavy on success, not style

Published: Jun 26, 2006

The players are admit they’re run down, the injuries are starting to take their toll, and the hot, muggy conditions don’t help.But even if they aren’t playing with their usual free-flowing, attacking style, D.C. United is still producing results, showing remarkable resolve to grind out two 1-0 shutouts last week."Sometimes, the soccer is not great," said United coach Peter Nowak after United’s fifth win in seven matches and third victory of the year over Kansas City in the rain on Saturday night. "This is not what we’re looking for, but......

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Youth could be served for United

Published: Jun 24, 2006

When midfielder Devon McTavish replaced an injured Dominic Mediate in Wednesday’s win over Chicago, he made the first appearance by any of D.C. United’s rookies this season.With little roster turnover and United off to its best start in team history, younger players have found it difficult to get even a sniff of first-team action. But the arrival of summer’s busy schedule should spur a little more variety in D.C.’s lineups."Coming in here and playing for five months and not even seeing the field, you definitely get frustrated, but eventually you......

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Simms’ first strike puts out Fire

Published: Jun 22, 2006

Before there was all the talk about the new adidas ball in the World Cup, Major League Soccer began the 2006 season in April with the same ball. On Wednesday at RFK Stadium, D.C. United midfielder Clyde Simms showed he can strike it as well as any international superstar.Simms scored his first-ever MLS goal in the 17th minute with a blistering shot from 25 yards and D.C. United shut down a threatening but ultimately ineffective Chicago attack for a 1-0 win in front of 12,385. "You don’t have to hit......

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United’s Gros breaks the mold of most soccer players

Published: Jun 21, 2006

Unlike most soccer players, D.C. United midfielder Josh Gros doesn’t call himself a soccer fan. He almost never watches it on television and he has little more than a passing interest in the World Cup."I followed it only because Brian Carroll is my roommate [on the road] and he had it on," said Gros. "There were two televisions in the hotel room where we were staying. He was watching the game, and I was watching ‘Hoosiers.’"But on the field, the former fourth-round draft pick’s dedication to his sport is unmatched.......

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United aims to further extinguish Fire

Published: Jun 21, 2006

It’s become a familiar refrain as D.C. United faces yet another dismal Eastern Conference opponent."Right now we know that Chicago is desperate for points, so we’ve got to do our best to play our game," said D.C. head coach Peter Nowak.The Fire, who knocked D.C. out of last year’s playoffs with a 4-0 thumping at RFK Stadium, have had a terrible start. Long-awaited payback from United could make it worse."They took us out in the playoffs last year, pretty much embarrassed us on our home field in front of our......

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United could be Eastern coasters

Published: Jun 19, 2006

Despite squandering late 1-0 leads in two straight road matches, D.C. United (7-1-5) still sits comfortably atop Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference standings. With a third of the season complete, conference opponents provide little reason to believe United won’t be in the same position at the regular season’s end.The conference’s four bottom teams have combined for a total of just one conference win while United is 5-0-3 against Eastern foes.Certainly there arelessons to learn about closing out matches, especially after surrendering Andy Dorman’s extra-time strike in Saturday’s 1-1 tie with......

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Rivalry could be overshadowed by U.S.’s Cup match against Italy

Published: Jun 16, 2006

It’s Major League Soccer’s best rivalry. But players from both D.C. United and the New England Revolution could find it tough to get mentally ready for this weekend’s clash with the U.S. national team’s vital match against Italy taking place just three hours prior and fans being invited to watch the broadcast on the two big ProVision screens at Gillette Stadium."We’ll be able to watch some of it during the pregame meal, but probably after the first half, we’ll turn it off and try to focus on the game at......

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Despite struggle, Adu remains goal-oriented

Published: Jun 14, 2006

Freddy Adu was on fire at D.C. United’s practice Tuesday.While most of the team had already finished for the day, the 17-year-old attacker gave third-string goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh a stern test in the net with an endless barrage of 20-25 yard, left-footed blasts at the end of the training session."I’m just working on my technique," said Adu. "Most of the time when we shoot, we try to hit it as hard as we can. Watching the World Cup, you see guys shoot the ball, and it’s just, ‘Man.’ Like [Czech......

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This time, Bruins not to be denied

Published: Jun 12, 2006

As soon as she stepped on the field at Christopher Newport University on Friday, the pain of the nasty tackle suffered by Lake Braddock junior Stephanie Hylton in last year’s Group AAA state final resrufaced. Hylton had tried to play through it, but the Bruins couldn’t overcome their postseason injury bug and lost to Kellam. Hylton wasn’t going to get hurt this weekend. Instead, the defender played flawless soccer as the Bruins dominated Eastern Region champion Cox, 3-0, for the championship on Saturday."It brought back so many memories. I know......

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United faces Galaxy team in flux after firing coach

Published: Jun 09, 2006

In last year’s road meeting with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Freddy Adu’s dazzling left-footer in extra time secured a 1-0 win for United.The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy began the week with the league’s worst record. On Tuesday, Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas fired coach Steve Sampson, the same man with whom Lalas had a public spat during the World Cup in 1998 when he was a player and Sampson the coach of the U.S. national team.Sampson’s replacement is Frank Yallop, who won two MLS Cups coaching San Jose. The......

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Centreville’s anchorwoman

Published: Jun 09, 2006

It’s hard to miss Patti Benner.The senior 6-footer is one of the tallest players on the Centreville girls soccer team. There are the bright pink cleats with which she relentlessly controls the central midfield, highlighting the unmistakable anchor of the Concorde District and Northern Region champions."I love them," said Centreville senior forward Emily Jukich. "I would never wear them, they’re not my style. But they work for Patti, and they’re good luck so she better keep wearing them."A second team All-Examiner pick last season, the George Mason-bound Benner has scored......

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Can they drink from the same Cup?

Published: Jun 07, 2006

The conditions couldn’t have been better for D.C. United last weekend.The weather was perfect. After a Memorial Day week of haze and heat, a band of rain overnight Friday ushered in cooler, drier weather, making for near-perfect conditions for a Saturday evening at RFK Stadium. The home team didn’t disappoint, satisfying nearly 23,000 fans, United’s biggest crowd since opening day, with a win over vaunted MLS Eastern Conference rival New England. The victory improved D.C.’s franchise-best start to 7-1-3. In any other year, United would easily be the biggest story......

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Which group of Cavaliers is best?

Published: Jun 06, 2006

BoysClover Hill at W.T. WoodsonW.T. Woodson junior forward Joe Barnd (19 goals, 3 assists) missed last year’s state final loss with an ankle injury. He wants another shot and can take another step toward redemption tonight against Clover Hill. Unless the Central Region’s Cavaliers keep him off the ball, the Northern Region’s Cavaliers will be headed back to Newport News.Lake Braddock at Thomas DaleThe Bruins can prove the Northern Region final was a fluke in the tournament’s best quarterfinal matchup. Thomas Dale averages more than six goals a game and......

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Cougars expect to rebound again

Published: Jun 06, 2006

Oakton coach Pat Purcell immediately picked up on the silver lining after the Cougars’ loss to Stone Bridge in last weekend’s Northern Region final."After we’ve lost, we’ve always won at least three in a row, and we’ve never lost two in a row," said Purcell, knowing one more streak of that length would mean a state title.Freshmen Callie Eward and Cristina Cafiero have sparked the Cougars’ postseason run, but tonight’s game will be a veteran pitching duel between Oakton senior Jesse McCarrick and Hanover senior Kristen Bruce, who allowed two......

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Score one for United’s defense

Published: Jun 05, 2006

The quality and depth of D.C. United’s attack was affirmed last week with five goals against Columbus. But has anyone yet made the argument that United has perhaps the best defense in Major League Soccer?The statistics are good evidence. It’s no surprise United leads the league in scoring (24 goals), but it is tied for the fewest goals against, just 10 in 11 games. The New England Revolution, which failed to score against United in a 1-0 loss on Saturday, also has allowed 10 goals but played nine games."We never......

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Carrolls take brother act to next level

Published: Jun 02, 2006

The last time brothers Jeff Carroll and Brian Carroll appeared together in the same match was for West Springfield High in the 2000 Northern Region semifinals. The Carrolls, who now both play for D.C. United, lost that game to eventual statechampion W.T. Woodson, which featured Abe Thompson and Clarence Goodson, who now both play for F.C. Dallas.While Jeff Carroll made his first appearance for D.C. United on Wednesday - not quite alongside his brother, instead replacing him late in United's 5-1 thrashing of Columbus - West Springfield and W.T. Woodson......

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Cougars aim to make their mark

Published: Jun 02, 2006

If there was any doubt how badly Oakton wants a chance to finally earn its first signature win, just ask the Cougars’ two opponents in Virginia’s first official state lacrosse tournament.The Cougars overwhelmed Charlottesville from the opening draw, scoring 12 goals Thursday in the game’s first 15 minutes on the way a 26-8 victory. The goal total was Oakton’s biggest offensive output of the season and the second game in row in which the Cougars (16-3) have scored 25 or more goals.After three straight Northern Region championship losses, including a......

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Simms’ star continues to rise

Published: May 31, 2006

Four years ago D.C. United midfielder Clyde Simms couldn't watch most World Cup games. He was working long hours packing tobacco at the Lorillard cigarette factory in Greensboro, N.C. But he'll be paying close attention when the2006 World Cup starts next week, knowing he's got a great chance to earn a spot with the U.S. team in 2010."I never thought I even would've been in the pool for 2006 so it's pretty amazing," said Simms, who made his first appearance for the U.S. last year and had just his second......

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United kicks off busy stretch

Published: May 26, 2006

With a second match in three weeks against the Kansas City Wizards, D.C. United commences its busiest stretch of the season. Starting with Saturday's visit to Missouri, United will play 10 games in 31 days, seven of those games during the World Cup and eight against Eastern Conference opponents."The most important thing is that these games are against Eastern Conference rivals. We have to be focused and concentrate," said D.C. head coach Peter Nowak. "We've enjoyed the first eight games we played. As far as points, we have to make......

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Seton loses battle, wins the war

Published: May 25, 2006

Things hadn’t exactly been going Kelsey Sheehan’s way.The Elizabeth Seton junior shortstop had dropped one ball, she was involved in a failedrundown, and the Roadrunners lost to St. Mary’s-Ryken, 2-0, in Wednesday’s final game of the Maryland Private Schools State Championship tournament at Braden Park.But thanks to a 5-2 win over Pallotti on Tuesday, Sheehan and Seton claimed the tournament title on the second tiebreaker."I just said hey, I can’t let any runs score because I knew we were ahead runs allowed so I just dug deep," said Sheehan, who......

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Tourney road anything but soft

Published: May 25, 2006

What is the toughest district in the Northern Region? Which ace pitcher will rise to the occasion? What region newcomer will throw a wrench into the works? The Northern Region softball tournament starts Friday, and here are the storylines The Examiner is watching:Teams preparing to settle in at Falls Church:WestfieldBulldogs coach Dean Ferington has repeatedly said he’ll take his team’s schedule over any in the Northern Region. Westfield (16-5) has played top-ranked O’Connell, beaten defending region champion Madison, and faced district rival Oakton three times.Led by superhero pitcher/hitter Linda Pirro,......

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Unconventional move pays off

Published: May 24, 2006

With the memory of a penalty-kick loss in the National District final just four days before still fresh in his mind, Patriots coach Steve Totten decided to make a radical decision in Tuesday’s Northern Region first round match at Wakefield.With National District second seed Yorktown and Concorde District No. 3 Fairfax tied, 2-2, and the Patriots entering their second shootout in as many games, Totten took his best field player, district player of the year Trip Henning, and instead of having him take a penalty kick, he put him into......

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Tourneys require accurate four-cast

Published: May 23, 2006

No easy draws, no clear favorites. This year’s Northern Region soccer tournaments both promise to be wide open from the opening kickoff, but The Examiner believes only four boys teams and four girls teams have a legitimate shot at a title.BoysLake BraddockWhy?: Destiny knocks twice.The pain of last year’s region semifinal loss, the Bruins’ only defeat of the season, still lingers. No player has embodied Lake Braddock’s (14-0-2) determination to erase that memory more than Northern Region player of the year, Guil Costa, the team’s engine on offense, but defense......

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United takes offense to Olsen’s void

Published: May 22, 2006

While midfielder Ben Olsen’s departure two weeks ago for the U.S. national team and World Cup thinned D.C. United’s midfield, his absence, combined with the plethora of attacking players at head coach Peter Nowak’s disposal on Saturday at Columbus, resulted in a starting 11 more offensive than any this season.Forward Lucio Filomeno, who scored twice in last week’s reserve match, was the latest addition and started in midfield just behind forwards Jaime Moreno and Alecko Eskandarian, and attack-minded midfielders Freddy Adu and Christian Gomez. No more than four of this......

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United headed for Ohio

Published: May 19, 2006

D.C. United has only lost twice in its last eight meetings with the Crew, but Columbus is always a tricky place to play. The Crew enters the weekend having won twice in a row after going winless in four of its first five games.The match will mark the return to Ohio for D.C. United and former Maryland midfielder Dominic Mediate, who made 11 appearances as a rookie last season with Columbus. Mediate availed himself nicely in his first start for United last weekend against Kansas City. But D.C. head coach......

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Damascus gets fresh

Published: May 18, 2006

Damascus freshman Taylor Wyatt had been out in front of Quince Orchard senior pitcher Rebecca Einstein all afternoon. Coming into her fourth appearance at the plate, she had already walked twice and fouled off countless pitches to the left.With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, she finally connected, crushing a game-tying home run that breathed new life into the third-seeded Swarmin’ Hornets, who went on to defeat the tenth-seeded Cougars, 3-2, in nine innings and advance to the 4A West Region championship game.Freshman outfielder Stephanie Hudlow, who struck......

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Edison’s Carter favors the left

Published: May 18, 2006

It’s the small sacrifices that make the difference for great pitchers.For Edison junior Lynsey Carter, it means a little less sleep the night before a game, but opposing batters would probably prefer she was better rested.After two years at shortstop with only an occasional game on the mound, Carter has taken over the top spot in Edison’s rotation, where she averaged nearly two strikeouts per inning during the regular season as the Eagles claimed their fourth National District title in five years."Before games I don’t sleep on my right side,"......

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Friendly rivals settle it on field in title game

Published: May 17, 2006

It’s become as much tradition as it has rivalry. Georgetown Visitation (D.C.) and Potomac Schoolhave met in the Independent Schools League Tournament championship each of the past three years.The last two years Visitation senior pitcher Katie Sullivan fell short against her best friend. But friendliness did not get in the way this time.Sullivan struck out just three batters, but she and the Tigers didn’t allow a runner past second base after the first inning as Visitation went on to a 4-1 title win over the Panthers at Flint Hill Middle......

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Indians enjoy change of attitude

Published: May 16, 2006

When Gar-Field forward J.C. Cabrera broke a team rule and was suspended for one game in April, he could’ve let it turn into last season all over again. But Cabrera knows are bigger goals at stake."Watching that game, where you know you can have an impact on the game, definitely makes you think about the next time you’re about to do it," said Cabrera, a speedy and talented forward who is helping the second-ranked Indians (12-1, 8-1 Cardinal District) put last season behind them as they prepare for tonight’s regular-season......

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For Damrens, déjà vu is painful

Published: May 16, 2006

There was something alarmingly familiar when the Damren family made an emergency room visit following the Forest Park girls soccer team’s recent game against Woodbridge. After tallying her third and fourth goals of the season, Bruins forward Stephanie Damren was injured in a collision with the opposing goalkeeper. A doctor’s examination later that night revealed what was initially thought to be a simple contusion was a broken tibia.Nearly a year to the day her older sister, senior forward Victoria Damren, suffered a season-ending ACL injury, Stephanie Damren found out her......

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United brings strong defense against K.C.

Published: May 15, 2006

D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian set the tone early with his fourth goal of the year, a thunderous left-footed volley, in Saturday’s 2-1 in over Kansas City. But defense was the story of the match, as both United’s Troy Perkins (five saves) and the Wizards’ Bo Oshoniyi (six saves) were busy in the net.Perkins was forced to stay sharp during a few defensive mishaps, but D.C.’s biggest disappointment may have been poor finishing as it sought a late goal to close out the win."It was unfortunate that we didn’t get......

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United having a ball, looks to clip K.C

Published: May 12, 2006

So far this season MLS players are raving about the league’s new adidas ball, the same ball that will be used in next month’s FIFA World Cup."If you hit the sweet spot, it friggin’ flies," said United forward Alecko Eskandarian."The ball is lighter, and it travels faster," said midfielder Christian Gomez. "It’s an advantage for the forwards and the midfielders."United has seen that advantage on the field, where it’s outshooting opponents, 75-52. D.C. registered a 30-17 advantage in the last two games alone, but with a draw and a loss......

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MLS commish takes stock of Adu, league’s state

Published: May 11, 2006

It’s an outburst that may have contributed to D.C. United’s unexpected first-round exit in last year’s playoffs. But Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber believes Freddy Adu’s public complaints last season about playing time — and the suspension that followed — was another lesson for a remarkable teenager growing up in the public eye playing professional soccer. Making a stop in Washington on Wednesday as a part of his tour of each MLS city, Garber commented on Adu’s development and value to MLS as well as league expansion and potential......

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Blair ready to bounce back

Published: May 11, 2006

Karma has come full circle in the 4A West Region.Last season, Blair was poised for its first-ever playoff win after finishing the regular season 15-3, good enough for theregion’s No. 3 seed.But the Blazers drew the one unseeded team it didn’t beat during the regular season: Richard Montgomery. The Rockets promptly bounced Blair with a come-from-behind, 3-2 win.This season the Blazers (14-1, 9-2 Montgomery County 4A) rebounded to grab the top seed and a smooth road to the regional semifinals.Meanwhile, the second-seeded Rockets (12-3, 9-3) face the hardest route of......

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O’Connell duo feeling blue

Published: May 11, 2006

The motto permeates every O’Connell batting practice: "Hit the blue."At the very back of the Knights’ batting cage hangs a blue mat. Hitting it requires solid technique to create a line drive with the right speed and angle."When we do hit that, it means we’re getting our top hand through," said junior first baseman Katie Nutaitis. "We have kind of a game going on each day. You’ll say, ‘I hit five blues. How many did you hit?’ It’ll be a game with the players and [Knights coach] Tommy [Orndorff] gets......

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Generals are on a mission

Published: May 09, 2006

Entering the final week of the regular season, two boys soccer teams are undefeated: Perennial contender, defending Patriot District champion and Northern Region favorite Lake Braddock — and Washington-Lee. "I’m assuming it’s one of the best records the program has had in a long, long time if not the best record ever," said Generals seventh-year coach Jimmy Carrasquillo.Washington-Lee (10-0-2, 4-0-1 National District) established itself with a 0-0 tie against Hayfield in March, and it was pummeling district foes by four-goal margins before fate was tempted in a come-from-behind, 2-1 win......

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Outsiders aim for district title

Published: May 09, 2006

Kurt Kuykendall always focused on guiding Madison to a Liberty District title. He just didn’t expect to get there with this type of roster.Tonight the fifth-ranked Warhawks (9-1-1, 5-0-1 district) travel to Langley (8-2-2, 5-1) with the district tournament’s top seed on the line."Three years ago we said to the girls, and many of [this year’s players] were present, that our goal is three years from now to play for the championship," said Kurt Kuykendall, who moved to the girls team to coach his daughter, Jaimie Kuykendall, after nine years......

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United heads to Colorado

Published: May 05, 2006

Coming off a disappointing draw with F.C. Dallas, a still undefeated D.C. United makes its yearly sojourn to Denver to face the Rapids, who last week yielded their fifth goal in two games to Houston striker Brian Ching.In last year’s visit, United forward Jaime Moreno was sent off midway through the second half after a deliberate foul and Colorado goalkeeper Joe Cannon made a number of key second-half saves to preserve the Rapids’ 1-0 win. Terry Cooke scored the game’s lone goal. Both the Rapids and United had one player......

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Seton’s sister act

Published: May 04, 2006

There aren’t many times when Elizabeth Seton infielders — and sisters — Kelsey and Erin Sheehan don’t talk softball."We spend time talking about what we need to do ourselves and as a team and what we can do to help the team," Kelsey Sheehan said. "Whether we’re on the field, after the game, or in the car on the way home, we’re talking about it constantly."Last year those conversations were simply about hopes for a better season, as the Roadrunners finished a dismal 7-11. But now the talk has been......

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‘We want to be a powerhouse’

Published: May 04, 2006

The tears afterward proved it wasn’t a fluke.For the second time this season, Centreville went 10 innings against All-Examiner pitcher Jesse McCarrick and Oakton. But unlike like the teams’ first meeting two weeks ago, on Tuesday the underdogs couldn’t prevail and lost, 3-1."This is one of the first times that after the game, I could look into the girls’ eyes and they were truly upset," said Centreville coach Rich Ferrick. "I truly believe that they thought, ‘Hey, we let this one slip away.’"The first loss in four Concorde District games......

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Kirby, Raiders laugh last

Published: May 03, 2006

As they walked through the line to shake hands after Tuesday’s Cedar Run District showdown at Stonewall Jackson, Raiders sophomore pitcher Melissa Kirby was all smiles. But she had one thing to say to Osbourn Park junior catcher Kat Solarcyzk."I was like, ‘You’re walking,’" said Kirby jokingly, who was to give her good friend a ride home. "Last time I actually struck her out. This time she got a hold of that thing."Solarcyzk got the best of Kirby at the plate, hitting her first home run of the season over......

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When coaches go a-playing

Published: May 02, 2006

They knew it would be a heated boys soccer rivalry — the first match between Hayfield and first-year program South County — and Hawks coach Daniel Drickey and Stallions coach Erich Gunderman got everything they expected.But despite the fiery, intense nature of the March 27 game, which Hayfield won, 2-0, even though two Hawks were red carded by the referee, Gunderman and Drickey remain close friends and teammates themselves, as they both play for Team America, a men’s team in the Washington International Soccer League, along with Mount Vernon coach......

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Saxons beaten up everywhere but the standings

Published: May 02, 2006

The injuries might be starting to take their toll on the Langley girls soccer team, but there’s little evidence to show in the standings.They could be without as many as three starters for their final two regular season games, but the Saxons (8-1-2, 5-0 Liberty District), who were supposed to be rebuilding this season after the graduation of two All-Examiner picks, moved to the top of the Examiner’s rankings this week after a 4-0 pounding of W.T. Woodson on Friday in a rematch of last year’s district final."In the past......

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Ward returns to full circle

Published: Apr 27, 2006

The first blow was more mental than physical. The second blow just hurt.In last year’s 4A West Region final, then-sophomore Sherwood pitcher Dana Ward surrendered a two-run, first inning homerun to Damascus’ Brittany Wyatt. It prompted the decision to walk Wyatt intentionally in the bottom of the seventh to load the bases with the score tied. But Ward walked the next batter, too, to give the Swarmin’ Hornets a 6-5 victory and the region title.Shaken by the season-ending loss, Ward took an even bigger hit in a summer tournament when......

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Paul VI has Moore than enough

Published: Apr 27, 2006

It was a special occasion on Monday when Kate Moore got a phone call together from her son, Brett Moore, and her daughter, Julia Moore.Brett, a senior, had just finished practice with the Paul VI baseball team, and Julia, a sophomore on the Panthers softball team, had returned to Fairfax early after her game at Ireton had been called off due to an unplayable field."They both called me from the parking lot and said they were coming home for dinner. That was rare," said Kate Moore.What is not rare is......

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MLS honors United defender Erpen

Published: Apr 27, 2006

Major League Soccer awarded D.C. United defender Facundo Erpen with the league’s goal of the week for his 35-yard blast in United’s 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.The goal was Erpen’s second of the season, with both coming against the New York. Erpen scored once last year during his first season with D.C.......

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Westfield’s Sheta grows up

Published: Apr 25, 2006

Look no further than the Westfield boys soccer 2006 team photo to see how much sophomore midfielder A.J. Sheta grew during the off-season."If you look at last year’s team picture, he’s in the bottom on his knees," said Westfield coach Tom Torres. "Now he’s standing up with the big guys."Sheta has grown three inches since he burst onto the scene for the Northern Region champions midway through the 2005 regular season, scoring on a game-winning free kick from nearly 40 yards out in his first-ever varsity start. He’s become a......

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Jones prospers by keeping her cool

Published: Apr 25, 2006

Kim Jones knows she’s been rattled once too often.For four years, Jones has anchored West Springfield’s defense. Arms, legs, bodies and words often tangle as the best forwards take on one of the Northern Region’s best defenders.And as a younger player, when Jones encountered a dirty tackle or a bit of trash talk, she often allowed her talent to be comprised by her quick temper. But this season she’s dedicated herself to rising above the fray and showing the confidence the Spartans need to have a legitimate shot at winning......

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Maryland to vote on state swim and dive meet

Published: Apr 21, 2006

A vote today could decide the fate of one of the Washington area’s most prestigious swim meets.The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association board of control, meeting this weekend in Ocean City, will vote whether or not to institute a Maryland state meet, which could mean the end of the Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships, otherwise known as Metros.As proposed, a state meet would include the top swimmers from public schools throughout Maryland and crown a state champion just like most varsity sports. Prince George’s County schools, which......

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Where are they now?: Mitch Saum, Baseball

Published: Apr 21, 2006

Saum and the Eagles are making noise in more than just the Big South Conference.Fresh off moving up two places in this week’s Baseball America Top 25 poll to No. 23, the Eagles (30-10) are poised to make another jump after a 6-3 upset win over No. 6 Clemson on Tuesday.Saum went 2-for-4 against the Tigers, including a double to drive in senior designated hitter Ben Ehrlich in the top of the sixth inning. Improving his season batting average to .306, the sophomore third baseman has hit successfully in Winthrop’s......

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Flowers earns first win in style

Published: Apr 20, 2006

The Flowers softball team earned its first victory in school history with a 5-4 win over defending Prince George’s County champion Bowie on Tuesday."I know they can beat this kind of team. They are just very intimidated by the girls that have been playing together for such a long time," said Jaguars coach Molly Bender, who has coached the team since the school opened in 2000.In the teams’ first meeting of the season Mar. 21, the Bulldogs triumphed easily, 11-0. On Tuesday, Flowers loaded the bases loaded with the scored......

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Morris makes Wake up call

Published: Apr 20, 2006

Parkdale forward Courteney Morris went from averaging double-figures as a junior to averaging a double-double as a senior, a rise that earned her a chance to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.Morris has signed with Wake Forest, choosing the Demon Deacons over offers from Massachusetts and Rider."The campus, the players and coaching staff that I met all just made me feel welcome and comfortable," said Morris. "I liked the conference, too."A second-team All-Examiner pick, Morris led Parkdale to its first-ever Prince George’s County championship, averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and......

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Bulldogs re-gain growl

Published: Apr 20, 2006

With its 2-0 win over Woodbridge on Tuesday, Hylton’s boys soccer team is off to its best start since its student body was split to open Forest Park six years ago.Senior forward Juan Lanza scored both goals for the Bulldogs (5-2-1, 3-0 Cardinal District) off assists from junior Jefry Sandoval and sophomore Zach Rusk. Senior goalkeeper Ramon Paniagua had another solid outing in the net.After finishing the 2005 season 1-13-2, Hylton is undefeated in its last six matches.The streak includes a 2-1 win over the Bruins (7-1, 1-1), which was......

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Roosevelt’s Balogun commits to Terps

Published: Apr 19, 2006

Eleanor Roosevelt junior goalkeeper Wendy Balogun has verbally committed to play soccer at Maryland.Balogun, an All-Examiner selection last fall, said she wanted to stay close to her family and be part of an improving program."I figured I’d come into a program that is building rather than one that is already big," said Balogun. "I want to be the player to make the difference."Balogun allowed just six goals all season in leading the Raiders to the 4A South final. She spent the past week training with the U.S. national under-17 team......

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Showcase tourney weakens local rosters

Published: Apr 19, 2006

A sizeable number of boys soccer players will miss high school games Friday as they head to Cincinnati with Reston FC ’88 to compete in this weekend’s Blue Chip Showcase soccer tournament.The girls’ version of the Blue Chip conveniently fell during spring break, but the boys’ competition starts Friday and will affect a number of teams entering the heart of the district regular season.Chantilly coach Tracy Birrell said she’ll be without playmaking juniors David Menzie and Carlos Davila at home against Fairfax on Friday. Juniors Harry Beddo and Torey Beiro,......

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Costa and Bruins shutout Langley

Published: Apr 18, 2006

As early as Lake Braddock senior Guil Costa made his presence felt during Monday’s non-district clash at Langley, it was his constant presence in the midfield during the second half that showed how determined both he and the Bruins are to make up for last year’s disappointing end to their season.Costa scored on a perfectly placed free kick in the game’s third minute, and then served up a goal and an assist in the second half as the visiting Bruins trounced the Saxons, 4-0."Every game that we’re playing, we’re playing......

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Surging Madison without Kuykendall

Published: Apr 18, 2006

Madison’s surprising girls soccer team will face its toughest opponent of the season without its star midfielder tonight when it meets undefeated Yorktown (7-0) at Gunston Middle School in a non-district battle.The Warhawks (6-0) expect to be without midfielder Jaimie Kuykendall, who sprained her right ankle against Jefferson on April 4.Still, it’s been a season filled with silver linings, as Madison’s aim to challenge for the Liberty District title has looked increasingly promising thanks to six straight shutouts.Sophomore goalkeeper Grace Rosales has excelled in the net and junior forward Devin......

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Fast start conjures fond memory for United

Published: Apr 17, 2006

The omens are encouraging. With its 2-0 victory over league favorite Houston on Saturday in the third of three home games to open the 2006 season, D.C. United (2-0-1) is off to it’s best start in six years. The last time D.C. went undefeated through its first three league games was 1999, when it won the first three games, all on the road, and eventually captured its third league title in four years. "That’s what we did back in the day," said midfielder Ben Olsen, a part of the 1999......

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Harris, Navy gird for battle with Army

Published: Apr 15, 2006

The Naval Academy men’s lacrosse team is poised for another run at a national title. The Midshipmen, who lost a one-goal heartbreaker to Syracuse in the 2004 NCAA championship, are healthy again after an injury-riddled 2005 campaign. They are ranked No. 5 in the country, coming off a thrilling 8-7 win over Maryland and … hold on just a second. It’s Army week. The regular-season finale against defending national champion Johns Hopkins, the Patriot League Tournament and the NCAA Tournament are all going to have to wait."Let me just put......

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Blair off to record start

Published: Apr 13, 2006

Led by junior pitcher Michelle Linford, Blair’s softball team is off to its best start in the program’s history, a perfect 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the 4A North Division, one game better than last year, when the Blazers won their first six games.Junior Allison Rubin and senior Sarah Rumbaugh, both left-handers, have sparked the offense. Rubin went 3-for-4 in an 8-5 win over Damascus, and Rumbaugh is hitting .500 for the season. Linford was in the circle for the win over the Hornets and a morale-boosting victory over Gaithersburg."We’ve......

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Sherwood Ward’s off competition

Published: Apr 13, 2006

The biggest obstacle in Blair’s path to a perfect regular season could be Sherwood (6-1, 2-0 4A East), which will host the Blazers on May 2.In her first full season as the Warriors’ sole starting pitcher, junior Dana Ward has thrown four no-hitters and amassed 114 strikeouts, giving her nine games to reach her goal of 200 for the year."This year it’s her show," said Sherwood coach Pat Flanagan, "and she wants the ball."The Warriors have averaged over eight runs a game while giving up only four runs all season.......

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Perazic hired at Seton

Published: Apr 12, 2006

Jasmina "Jazz" Perazic has been hired as the new girls basketball coach at Elizabeth Seton, Roadrunners athletic director Candy Cage said Tuesday.Perazic, a former All-American who led Maryland to the NCAA Final Four in 1982, takes over after one season at St. John’s Prospect Hall in Frederick. Prior to that, she spent one year at Bullis, where she led the Bulldogs to a 19-11 record and second place in the Independent Schools League. She also coached for two seasons at Northwestern.Perazic, who is also a two-time Olympian, is 10th on......

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Pirro gets it done for Bulldogs

Published: Apr 12, 2006

She’ll go as long as it takes. On Tuesday it took 14 innings.Westfield junior pitcher Linda Pirro allowed just six hits over two consecutive games, shutting out Oakton, 2-0, in the semifinals and notching eight strikeouts in the championship as the Bulldogs avenged their only loss of the season to hand O’Connell its first loss of the season, 5-2, in the final of the Lake Braddock Spring Break softball tournament at Lake Braddock. "It was two very tough games," said Pirro, who also delivered a tournament-winning triple against the Knights.......

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Jaguars’ Alexander steps down

Published: Apr 12, 2006

Falls Church field hockey coach Brooke Alexander has resigned after three seasons with the Jaguars. She is planning to enter a graduate program in counseling at Wake Forest University this fall."It’s been a very sad part of my decision," said Alexander of leaving behind the field hockey team, which won the National District Tournament this past fall and finished 11-9-1. Alexander guided Falls Church to a district title in her first season. Second team All-Examiner junior midfielder Minnie Wodatch will be the Jags’ top returning player next season.She also coached......

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Titans get an early start

Published: Apr 11, 2006

The alarms went off a bit earlier for the T.C. Williams boys soccer team on the first day of spring break.In the first game of the round-robin portion of Battle of the Beltway Spring Break soccer tournament at Chantilly, the Titans scored before the dust had cleared from the 11 a.m. kickoff and added an insurance goal after halftime for a 2-0 victory over the host Chargers.T.C. Williams senior forward Ghassan Saroor scored when Chantilly goalkeeper Anthony Limarata deflected his tight-angled cross into the net in the second minute, and......

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Wildcats’ Stevens adjusts to land

Published: Apr 11, 2006

Just as he did in the pool during the winter, Centreville senior Patrick Stevens is making waves on the soccer field this spring.Leading with a team-high five goals, Stevens, who set a Concorde District record in the 50-yard freestyle and took home second- and third-place finishes in 50 and 100 free, respectively, at the Group AAA state swim meet, has scored in each of an unbeaten stretch of three games for the Wildcats (2-2-3).Centreville started with a preseason scrimmage victory over West Springfield and a 3-3 tie with Langley in......

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