March 27, 2009
Blue vs. Gray
Bring It On, part 2
My high school son, for the past two months, has been working on a research paper comparing three great battles of the Civil War (Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Cold Harbor), all of which occurred within 100 miles of Washington, DC. So when the Georgetown Hoyas lined up last night in McDonough Memorial Gymnasium to face the Richmond Spiders in the third round of the women's NIT, I couldn't help but think about the historical connection between the two cities represented by the teams on the court, the capital of the North versus the capital of the South. And in the game, just as in those three battles, the side with the stronger defense prevailed in a decisive victory.
With the win, the Hoyas move on to the round of eight to face Boston College at the Conte Forum in Boston next Sunday. Hoya, hoya saxa!
I slipped into the arena last night before the doors opened and found the Hoyas informally warming up and staying loose. Many of the hoop men's team were there, hanging out and chatting with their counterparts. The easy and relaxing environment felt like it did during one night of Madness last October when the men and women roundballers mixed it up in our first glimpse of the respective teams. When I posted an entry about that evening of basketball, I remarked about the day in the future when basketball in McDonough will once again sell out. It didn't happen last night, but the who's who in attendance were treated to a very entertaining game of b-ball. Those attendees included: Jim Walsh, SJ and more than a few Jesuits; Law Center VP Kevin Conry '76; veteran fans of McDonough womens' ball including Joe McGuinness '68, Paul Besozzi '69, and University VP Dan Porterfield '85; multiple former players, including our first WNBA draftee, Katie Smrcka-Duffy '01; lots of current Hoya parents and families; Hoop Club leaders Al Bozzo '85, Mike Karam '72, and Bill Licamele '68; athletic director Bernard Muir along with most of his staff and coaches; emeritus AD Frank Rienzo; several members of the Thompson family; and the men's hoop team as mentioned.It was a homecoming of sorts and the Hoyas couldn't have picked a better time to show their stuff. Now, battle-tested throughout the Big East season and on the threshold of their deepest run ever into post-season play, the Georgetown women are deserving of our esteem. We are proud of their success and delighted to see them wear the Blue AND Gray.
Read more...
March 16, 2009
Journey of a Lifetime
I took a journey this past weekend to Geneva, NY. I have fond memories of the town, from visiting relatives there as a boy, to returning there over Christmas break in college with my lacrosse teammate Nick Midey, who resided in the neighboring village of Seneca Falls. I remember visiting Hobart College on that particular journey and stopping in Bristol Gym to pay respects to head coach Jerry Schmidt, the first and only lacrosse player ever to land on the cover of Sports Illustrated. I remember returning again six months later to participate in the 31st annual North-South All-Star Game as a member of the winning South squad. I also remember going back several times to watch the Hoyas earn closely contested victories against the Statesmen. Fond memories indeed.
The reason I went back once more to Geneva last weekend was to serve as scorekeeper for the Georgetown - Hobart lacrosse game. There once was a time, a generation ago, when Georgetown did not belong on the same field as upstate lacrosse powerhouse Hobart. Fortunately, they never met on the field in those days. Now, the two schools compete in the same conference, the ECAC. However, a conference affiliation is not all that Georgetown and Hobart share: GU Law graduate Mark Gearan '90 is the current president of Hobart College; the site of the game, McCooey Field, is named for the family that has sent offspring to both schools, including Dick McCooey '52, founder and once proprietor of the Tombs and 1789 restaurant; and one-time Georgetown coach, Tom Oberdorfer, played his college lacrosse at Hobart. The most significant connection that has bound together Georgetown and Hobart over the past 20 years though is a man named David Urick.
I won't recite Coach Urick's accolades in this space. You can read them here and here. How well is he still remembered at the school that gave him his first coaching job? Within the first hour he arrived on campus with the Hoyas, a lineup of old friends greeted him, including the Hobart trainer, the assistant to the president, the athletic director, assistant coaches, and even a former referee.The Hoyas will leave the ECAC next year with the addition of men's lacrosse to Big East competition. Sadly, the Hobart rivalry may very well end.
Happily, the fond memories and connections between the schools will not.
Read more...
March 11, 2009
The Season of Job
Another Big East Tournament has ended for the Hoyas. I am about to board a train to head back to DC. We'll wait to hear from the NIT, but the post-mortems have already begun.
All right, we lost in New York. It follows a difficult season of multiple unexpected losses for our men's basketball team. We started the season so well, then . . . ?
Is there a moral to the story? No, throw out the instant analysis and daily judgments. I, for one, will not conclude from successive painful losses that our team is somehow bad and unworthy.
True wisdom to understand fully this season may be beyond us. One thing is clear though: the team has faced one challenge after another in a very trying season. Never did they lose their composure or integrity. And surely, it is a noble achievement to hold your head high under the glare of the spotlight and in the face of great adversity.One other thing is clear as well: through faith and perseverance, the Hoyas will be back.
For now, the season of Job is upon us.
Hoya, Hoya Saxa!
Hoya, Hoya Georgetown!
Hoya, Team! Team! Team!
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
|
Patrick J McArdle,
Athletic Relations ( more info) |
