Oct. 19, 2004
Soccer Success
Both our men's and women's soccer teams are having strong seasons this fall. The men's victory over defending national champion and perennial Big Ten power Indiana this weekend was probably the most significant win in the history of the program. Indiana was ranked third nationally and had not lost a conference regular-season match in 48 games. The win was at Bloomington, making the win even more impressive. Moreover, it was our team's first regular season conference win since 1999. What a way to get the first win. The previous weekend the team came very close to pulling off an upset over Penn State, but gave up two goals in the last 44 seconds of regulation and ended up with a tie. It is a real tribute to the team that they were able to bounce back from a tough game like that and beat Indiana. The win also was significant in that it was head coach Tim Lenahan's 150th career victory. Congratulations to both Tim and the team on these great accomplishments.
The performance of women's soccer team this fall has been a pleasant surprise. The team has played well as a team all year, and is much improved over last year. The team has been especially strong at home, going 8-1-1. With two Big Ten wins at home this weekend, the team clinched a spot in the Big Ten tournament.
I encourage our fans to come out and watch our soccer teams play at Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex. It's a chance to watch exciting soccer played at the highest level, in a beautiful setting with breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline.
Ohio State Victory
The football team's win over Ohio State was certainly one of the highlights of the sports year so far. It was the first win over Ohio State in 33 years, and ESPN deemed the game an Instant Classic. It was the highest-rated college football game ever on ESPN2. The atmosphere in Ryan Field was tremendous, and the support of our fans was a big factor in the win. I hope we can have the same kind of atmosphere for our final two home games. The win should give the team confidence as we head into the second half of the season.
National Championship
For the second straight year, our women's tennis team has captured a national championship at the ITA Tournament. Last year, our doubles team of Cristelle Grier and Jessica Rush won the doubles championship. This year, freshman Audra Cohen won the singles championship. Interestingly, Audra played teammate Cristelle, the top-ranked player in the country, in the final. Congratulations to both Audra and Cristelle on these great accomplishments. It should be an exciting year for the women's tennis team. They should, with these two talented young women, have a legitimate chance to compete for a NCAA championship.
Men's Golf
After starting slow in their first two tournaments, the men's golf team has rebounded nicely in the last two weeks. They won the Windon Classic at Conway Farms Country Club, in Lake Forest, and finished fourth in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational. Senior Dillon Dougherty has been a solid performer, and won the individual championship in the Alister MacKenzie Invitational.