Women Whallop Wesleyan for Four

In all honesty, when I went to Summers-Taylor for tonight's game against TN-Wesleyan, I didn't have terribly high expectations. I expected to see a win, certainly, but I expected more of a plodding, back-and-forth affair that ended maybe 1-0 or 2-0. What I came away with was something very different, that caught me off guard. I saw a totally comprehensive victory.

Right from kick-off, Lady Bucs FC were all over the Bulldogs (Lady Bulldogs? I don't know the official descriptor, so let's just go with that.) They had the lion's share of possession, out-shot TN-Wesleyan by a 21-2 margin, and put all kinds of pressure on the back line, which did an admirable job of holding back the ETSU attack for the first 34 minutes. In fact, the way the Ladies were generating so many chances that they failed to capitalize on, it looked like the law of averages would kick in and Lady Bulldogs would score first.

Right after I said that, Samantha Kron cashed in with a fantastic goal straight off a corner. Maybe it's just because I'm fairly new to this sport (I've been watching for about four years now), but that's the first time I can recall seeing someone score straight off a corner like that. It caught me completely off-guard.

The Lady Bulldogs added to their own problems when Abby Fannin (That was the name on the score sheet, although there are about seven different #24's playing for UTW depending on which source you use) knocked the ball off of keeper Chelsey Baxter into her own net just three minutes later. There wasn't really much she could have done about it: the ball just took a funny hop when she tried to pass it back.

It took less than a minute for ETSU to add another one, when some great work in the midfield by the Goffe sisters led to Ramey Kerns' second goal of the season. Senior Morgan Jutras was also credited with an assist on the goal (although she was initially credited with the goal itself in-house before a scoring change at the break).

The Ladies added one more, a header from Kelly Brinkman from about ten yards out that found its way in. It was a really strong header amid the massive scramble off a corner from Kron, and it was strong; she was on line with the penalty spot and the ball didn't touch the ground until it hit the back of the netting. That takes some strength from that far out.

This is a game to remember for ETSU when they get into conference play. I don't recall ever seeing a coach quite so relaxed and upbeat, even after a big win, as Henson was tonight. She laughed and joked with the production crew and the SIDs and even some of the fans. Most coaches are in a hurry to get out of the camera eye, but Henson stayed and answered every question BSN had for her. To paraphrase her, there are still things they can and should work on for conference play, still defensive breakdowns and some squandered opportunities, but a result like this is always great.

I absolutely agree with her, but let's put things in perspective here. The quality of the team they faced is probably not what they're going to be facing on a regular basis in A-Sun play (although they did have some talent up front; there are some men's teams that would have a hard time containing a player with the skill and pace of Helen Collins). It was their first game of the year. This is a great win, certainly, a victory that was much more lopsided than I had expected when I walked through the gates this afternoon.

Some other observations from tonight's game:

The youth movement was out in force. The Goffe sisters, Ramey Kerns, Kayla White, and Samantha Kron really stood out as possible impact players as early as this year. Kerns and Kron have already made an impact, and the Goffes could be key players for the transition game once conference play keeps going. Only Kron started, but with the flexible substitution rules in college soccer, it's not impossible for a player to make an impact off the bench.

Henson used the Little League rule tonight, as every player on the roster saw time on the field (certainly a great way to take advantage of the substitution rules to get players down the depth chart some playing time). I can't really say anyone played very poorly, either.

Tonight's starting XI:

Masch
Thomas-Kron-Altimier-Meehan
Brinkman-Petersen-Bickel
Huntington-Van Horn-Miller

That's all for tonight.

Housekeeping; Lady Bucs FC Home Opener Tonight!

Let me first say that I apologize for accidentally nuking my recap of the Tusculum game. To hit the highlights:

• The team won 3-2, despite not playing all that well (which Calabrese and captain Guilherme Reis both admitted to). Lots of aerial work instead of moving the ball along the ground.
• The lights still don't work.
• Sean Hoek is not on the roster anymore. I asked our sports information director about this and got no definitive answer. I won't speculate on where he went or why he has been left off the roster, but the absence of the school's all-time leading goal scorer (and, in my personal opinion, the team's best outfield player in 2009) will be a big void to fill.
  
• I wish I had Gui's dance moves. Please, somebody, anybody, professional or amateur, get a picture of this guy doing the samba next time he scores a goal. Or, even better, send us a video of YOUR best goal celebration (the "Icelandic Fisherman" doesn't count).
  
• If David Geno can consistently play like he did against Tusculum, he could score 40 goals or more in his time at ETSU.

Later tonight, I'll have a recap of the women's game against TN-Wesleyan. This should be an interesting match-up. Wesleyan are talented, but they're even younger than the Lady Bucs (technically, they're the Buccaneers and not the Lady Bucs according to their most recently published media guide, but I don't know of anyone who actually calls them that), as they field fifteen freshmen. Kick-off is at 5 PM sharp.

Jason Finn Not On 2010 Roster

No idea what happened to him.

The Bucs play Tusculum in preseason play tomorrow at STS at 5:30, and the lights might actually get used! Be there!

(Yeah, yeah, I'll get to volleyball, just give me five minutes, will you? Sheesh.)

Schedule Interpretation, Latest Results & NEW KITS!

First and foremost, the Lady Bucs opened their season with a 4-1 thrashing of UNC Asheville on the road on Sunday. Rachel Van Horn scored twice. Are we in business? I think we're in business.

Now, onto the scheduling. Both basketball teams have their schedules out, and both have some very tough fixtures. The cynic in me has two basic reactions to this:

1. The coach has lost his/her mind and should be fired for scheduling opponents that they stand no chance against on paper, there's no way the team will win 20 games this year, the sky is falling, etc.

2. These teams are collecting humongous paychecks to get the snot kicked out of them by the best programs in the country.

I don't think either is really the case here, though. Sure, money determines where the game is played, but if a mid-major program like ETSU wanted to avoid playing so many big schools, they could do it pretty easily. These coaches sincerely want to make their programs better, and the only way to vault yourself to be among the best is to play against the best. Strong showings here, even in losing efforts, will help the team tune up for weaker opponents in conference play. There is a risk, however, that this blows up in the coach's face. If the team gets blown out in those games, it could leave even the most talented teams demoralized, making them easy targets for conference opponents who have had weaker schedules.

One can also look at another team's schedule and see who is serious about making a tournament appearance. With that in mind, it's clear that the men's championship goes through Adnan Hodzic and the Lipscomb Bisons (as if the fact that Hodzic was still there didn't give it away). Like the Bucs, the Bisons open their campaign on the road against a national powerhouse (North Carolina) and also play at Memphis and Alabama in the middle of the year. Both teams also have a punchi-er, lesser program scheduled between those contests, although I suspect UT-Martin will pose a greater challenge to Lipscomb than Milligan will to ETSU (no joke, Milligan is a regular season opponent). The schedule announcements really help set the tone for what looks to be a great emerging rivalry for both parties. I really wish I could be at Allen Arena when the Bucs come to town, and I will most definitely be there when they play at the Mausoleum of Johnson City (see what I did there?).

For the ladies, these sentiments could be amplified several times. Kemp has made out a brutal non-conference schedule that includes visits to Columbus, Raleigh, Murfreesboro (you laugh now, but MTSU has a VERY good women's program), and worst of all, Knoxville. I like Karen Kemp, I think she's an excellent coach, but the thought of what could happen to this team in Thompson-Boling Arena kept me awake last night. Even with a good recruiting class, Kemp would need a small miracle, two UConn transfers, three arrests, six maids a-milking, two Root Beer Barrels and a dental hygienist to keep that game from getting way out of hand. The massive disparity in talent between major programs and mid-majors in women's basketball just tells me that this could get ugly in short order, and a bad loss could linger and affect the ladies in conference play.

And now for the news I'm most excited about: the men's soccer team have new kits this season. They'll be sporting uniforms similar to the U.S. National team in 2008 and 2009, with horisontal blue striping on the home shirt and dark blue shorts to go with it. Hopefullly, I'll be able to get some pictures from the Friday exhibition against Tusculum.

Speaking of which, did you know that the Pioneers have a football team? I'll throw my hat into the ring on that long-standing hot-button issue next time. For now, I leave you with a new tradition here at BBBE.

For whatever reason, cameramen like to take pictures of our beloved (or not-so-beloved, to some fans) basketball coach fully immersing himself in his job. So, without further ado, I present to you the inaugural "Murry Bartow Game Face of the Week," or MBGFW. Enjoy, and feel free to submit your own!

(From the Kentucky game, 3/18/10, courtesy of Associated Press)

Don't Panic... Yet.

As the soccer teams gear up for their season (the women have already reported), I've got some bad news from a sport that's a little further down the line. You'll probably want to be seated for this if you're a basketball fan. Take a seat, and a deep breath. Ready? Okay.

Tarita Gordon is out for the season.

Stay in that seat! I know it's tough to contain yourself with news like this, but you have to think rationally here rather than running around screaming at anything with a face. That goes for you, too, Coach.

Out of the blue, ETSU's website announced on Wednesday that shooting guard Tarita Gordon would be out of the Blue for the entire 2010-11 season recovering from knee surgery. Gordon, who is slated to complete her senior academic year regardless of her choice on a redshirt, averaged 11 points per game with the Lady Bucs as a junior last year, and really came on strong in the conference tournament. She was expected to be one of the leaders of this team, along with fellow seniors Tara Davis and Latisha Belcher, who also missed her first shot at a senior season last year due to injury.

But there's no reason to panic, at least not yet. The team still has a very good starting five, as Washington and Pickwell should both step in and contribute right away, to say nothing of Iesha Robinson. There are a LOT of freshmen in the back court, though, and they'll probably all get a crack at real playing time at some point down the stretch, but Kemp has enough depth that she won't be forced to play anyone she doesn't think is ready.

Fortunately, the Ladies have resolved what was probably their biggest weakness last year: the ability of taller players to dominate them in the post. The return of Belcher (Left, 6'2"), coupled with the development of Ashley Benedict (6'3") and Tosha Austin (6'2") gives Kemp a very tall front court to work with that will be tough to score on in the paint, and that's before the addition of 6'1" frosh Ashley Miles. The back court may be an issue now that Evans and Wiles are gone, but Kemp is a good coach, and she can make even reasonable talents into quality players, and she doesn't even have to scream at them to do it.



In baseball news, good old Chas Byrne continues to shut down the Appalachian League and has settled into the closer role for the Burlington Royals. With three saves to his name in 25 innings of work, Byrne has a solid 33 strikeouts and an impressive 0.67 WHIP, allowing just three earned runs in his time with the Royals and giving up hits to just 15% of the batters he faces. He has been very consistent for a Burlington team that still has a legitimate shot at the playoffs. I have to think that he'll be moved up at least one level in the organization in September.

The T-Bone also announced the signing of local product Corey McPherson, who will likely be challenging Niesman for time at second base. The real question, though, is what will his intro music be? It sure won't beat "Song of the South."

Are You Seated? Good. Gordon's Out for the Season

Stay in that seat! I know it's tough to contain yourself with news like this, but you have to think rationally here rather than running around screaming at anything with a face.

Out of the blue, ETSU's website announced on Wednesday that shooting guard Tarita Gordon would be out of the Blue for the entire 2010-11 season recovering from knee surgery. Gordon, who is slated to complete her senior academic year regardless of her choice on a redshirt, averaged 11 points per game with the Lady Bucs as a junior last year, and really came on strong in the conference tournament. She was expected to be one of the leaders of this team, along with fellow seniors Tara Davis and Latisha Belcher, who also missed her first shot at a senior season last year due to injury.

But there's no reason to panic, at least not yet. The team still has a very good starting five, as Washington and Pickwell should both step in and contribute right away, to say nothing of Iesha Robinson. There are a LOT of freshmen in the back court, though, and they'll probably all get a crack at 5-10 minutes a game off the bench at some point down the stretch, but Kemp has enough depth that she won't be forced to play anyone she doesn't think is ready.

Fortunately, the Ladies have resolved what was probably their biggest weakness last year without having to recruit for it: the ability of taller players to dominate them in the post. The return of Belcher (6'2"), coupled with the development of Ashley Benedict (6'3") and Tosha Austin (6'2") gives Kemp a very tall front court to work with that will be tough to score on in the paint, and that's before the addition of 6'1" frosh Ashley Miles. The back court may be an issue now that Evans and Wiles are gone, but Kemp is a good coach, and she can make even reasonable talents into quality players, and she doesn't even have to scream at them to do it.



In baseball news, good old Chas Byrne continues to shut down the Appalachian League and has settled into the closer role for the Burlington Royals. With three saves to his name in 25 innings of work, Byrne has a solid 33 strikeouts and an impressive 0.67 WHIP, allowing just three earned runs in his time with the Royals and giving up hits to just 15% of the batters he faces. He has been very consistent for a Burlington team that still has a legitimate shot at the playoffs. I have to think that he'll be moved up at least one level in the organization in September.

Skole also signed local product Corey McPherson. He has pretty lofty praise for this kid, although he seems to give glowing reports for all his prospects. Whether that's good or bad is tough to say, considering Skole has only recently been given a full slate of scholarships, and he used them to bring in very talented players like Kerry Doane, Scott McNally, and Andrew Green for the 2010 season, as well as Bo Reeder and Matthew Scruggs in 2009.