Sports Shorts

Underdogs no longer, Elis get psyched for Cornell and Columbia

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Yale spikes it at the Rider Invitational last weekend.

"Although Cornell and Columbia finished in the bottom tier of the league last season, we aren't going to take them lightly," Head Coach Peg Scofield commented. "This weekend will be a real test of our leadership and ability on the field." After finishing a disappointing fifth in the Ivy standings last year, the Bulldogs are using their underdog status to play harder without adding any pressure.

Despite the return of five starters, Scofield looks at her team as brand new. "We are an entirely different team," she said. She described the team's work ethic during the off-season, when players trained in their hometowns, running sprints and agility drills, lifting weights, and drilling with each other or with other volleyball coaches nearby.

To prepare for the stiff league competition ahead of them, the Bulldogs have spent hours reviewing videotapes of their opponents' performances. After watching the tapes, they would simulate their opponents' games, using the "B" team and two male assistant coaches to play the role of the opposing side. This practice scheme will better prepare the team, especially playing against the assistant coaches, who are able to hit harder and block higher.

"We've been pushing each other in every practice.  We have tried to improve our weakness with each game," Stephanie McMahon, TC '01, said.

The team is particularly excited for the upcoming Ivy matches, because with the elimination of the ECAC tournament, the winner of this year's Ivy season receives an automatic berth in the NCAA championships. "Some teams will fall short of their expectations, but the best will still be the best. We'll need high adrenaline and confidence levels if we are to win the Championships this year," Scofield said.

—Kevin Tran




MEN'S SOCCER

With Moss back, Elis win thriller and move above .500

Ten days ago, the men's soccer team had to be wondering when it would get its season into gear. It had lost three straight games, including two on a weekend road trip to Wisconsin, and went a disappointing 2-4 on the season.

All that has since changed. On Wed., Oct. 4, the team eked out a 2-1 overtime win against Quinnipiac, raising its record to 5-4 on the year. A goal by Jay Alberts, SY '03, tied the score with just 49 seconds left in regulation, and Matt Schmidt, SM '01, buried a penalty kick in the 99th minute to give the Bulldogs the victory.

The team is now on a three game tear, having scored a 1-0 win over Hartford on Wed., Sept. 27, and shutting out Ancient Eight rival Cornell 3-0 on Sat., Sept. 30. One of the keys to the Bulldogs' resurgence has undoubtedly been the return of captain and goalkeeper Danny Moss, MC '01, from injury. Moss has sparkled between the posts, allowing only one goal in his three games back for a save percentage of .933.

Moss attributes the team's turnaround in part to a tactical adjustment made by Head Coach Brian Tompkins. The Bulldogs have abandoned their traditional 4-4-2 formation for a 4-3-2-1, which enables them to get numbers behind the ball. "We're definitely pleased to be above .500, especially after a few really discouraging losses in the early season," Moss said. "We're now playing with the confidence that we had been lacking."

The team will look to remain perfect in Ivy League competition when it plays at Dartmouth on Sun., Oct. 8—no easy task. Dartmouth is 6-2 on the season and has dominated the Elis in recent years. "We are getting ready for a war," Moss said.

—Ben Reiter




SQUASH

World wide conference

On Sat., Sept. 30 and Sun., Oct. 1, the squash world descended on New Haven for the annual United States Squash Raquet Association (USRA) conference. The USRA, the governing body of squash in this country, holds the conference to conduct workships on the art of coaching squash. This year's conference lasted three days and drew 74 attendees, some from as far as Egypt, as well as 14 guest speakers. "It was the A-Z on coaching squash," Dave Talbott, the Yale men's squash coach, said.

The program featured court sessions, mental training, physiologists, and speakers on refereeing, goal-setting, court utilization, as well as listening and practical application. Members of the Yale squash team served as guinea pigs and were critiqued by the best coaches in the world to demonstrate effective coaching techniques.

"There was some great playing," Talbott said. "The No. 1 player in the world was there, Jonathan Power, a Canadian, the first North American ever to be ranked No. 1. It's the premiere conference in the country." He added, "We had it here to showcase the Brady Squash center, as a recruiting technique—coaches could see the premiere facility and that could help us get international kids." Yale's Brady Squash facility, completed last year, cost $6 million and is considered one of the best squash facilities in the world.

The USRA ran the conference, which was funded by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Although squash isn't yet an Olympic sport, it will likely become one by 2004.

—Katie Cole

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