Saturday, December 13, 2008

Field Hockey Seniors Live up to Expectations



With their collegiate careers officially complete, the Iowa field hockey senior class finally has a legacy comparable to the all-time greats. (2008 Big Ten Tournament Champion pictured above).

No longer will they be remembered as the team that could not go beyond the first round of the NCAA tournament, or the second round for that matter. The Hawkeyes advanced to the Final Four on Nov. 11 after defeating No. 10 Michigan State, 1-0, for the third time this year.

However, the No. 4 ranked Hawkeyes fell two victories short of their ultimate goal, the national championship. Iowa faced off against top seeded and eventual national champion Maryland, on Nov. 21, and were sent home after a 2-1 double overtime loss.

The 2008 Hawkeyes became the 11th team in Iowa history to make the Final Four, but could not become only the second team to finish at the top – the first and only National Championship came in 1986.

“Despite falling short of our ultimate goal, there is so much that we can take from this season,” senior Caitlin McCurdy from Mountain Top, Pa. said (pictured to the right). “Just to make it to the Final Four is such a great accomplishment, regardless of the outcome.”

Despite the Hawkeyes’ early exit from the Final Four, their first since 1999, the eight graduating seniors still went on to claim the highest winning percentage, 69.5, over a four year span since the class of 1998.

It has been a long time coming though for the class of 2009, who lost a combined 17 games in their freshman and sophomore campaigns – the most in a two year stretch since 1997-1998. Even before the early struggles of their Hawkeye careers, the class of 2009 forged a connection before ever stepping foot in Iowa City.

With five of them calling Pennsylvania home, and two others from the Northeast, playing for the Hawkeyes has only furthered their bonds.

"I think it's really awesome how we all came here, all eight of us together," senior captain and Lewisberg, Pa., native Roz Ellis said (pictured below). "Having other people from Pennsylvania in our class as well, it's just a nice home away from home."

More literally, Ellis shares an apartment with senior Caroline Blaum from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and senior Katie Naughton (pictured on the right) from Goffstown, N.H. – and is a neighbor of several others on the team.

Where as most freshmen get comfortable on the bench in their first year, these now-seniors have been contributing throughout their careers. All but one started at least two games in their rookie season with five making the starting lineup for every game.

"They've done so much for the program as a whole. They were young and bright-eyed when they came in as freshmen, but they had to really fill in and provide a lot of output for us right off the bat," head coach Tracey Griesbaum said. "It was trial by error for a handful of them in the beginning. But really, every year they've increased their work rate and increased everything we've asked them to do. They've really meant a lot to the program."

In the annual senior game, the time came to recognize one of the most successful classes to ever call Grant Field home. However, the event was spoiled courtesy of an upset loss to Ohio State, 2-0.

Following the disheartening loss, Griesbaum had some very strong feelings regarding the senior recognition.

"I'll seriously consider whether we're going to ever do this again," she said after the game. "You have eight seniors, and if they're more worried about the flowers than winning a game, then that's my bad."

Griesbaum’s frustration comes as a result of a 3-6 record on senior days since taking over as head coach in 2000. The frustration even carried over to the team, who at 12-4 and 2-2 in conference play, were unsure how much longer their season would last.

“We have a good chance now of not making the [NCAA] tournament,” a senior said following the loss. “We could actually lose our last three games.”

Down, Iowa and its seniors rallied and pulled off victories at Michigan State and rival Michigan. With a newly found resurgence, the Hawkeyes then went on the claim their third straight Big Ten Tournament title (picture to right is the team celebrating after their first title in 2006). The last time an Iowa team won three consecutive Big Ten titles was from 1994-1996 and only one time prior from 1989-1992.

Despite finishing strong, Iowa and its seniors could not break the tradition of its predecessors. Three times a Hawkeye team had faced off against Maryland in the national semi-final, with the results not in their favor, losing by one goal – in 1987, 1993, 1999 and now 2008. In each circumstance, the Terrapins went on to become the National Champion.

Upon the completion of their final season and graduation from Iowa, two seniors will continue their field hockey careers, while rest will hang it for good. Co-captains and roommates Blaum and Ellis will enter the Olympic Development program in hopes of representing the United States as successfully as they have represented Iowa.

“It still hurts right now, but I’m sure after awhile I’ll actually be able to appreciate what we accomplished,” Blaum said (pictured to the left). “It’s been great. I’ve enjoyed every moment."

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Bowl Games

Maybe it’s because of the Christmas season, but it’s no wonder the college football bowl season is widely considered, the most wonderful time of the year.

For almost three weeks, college football’s finest, and Notre Dame, compete in their most meaningful football game of the year. Sure there are games during the regular season which claim the national spotlight and have meaning, but none like the bowl season.

No other sport can crown 34 post-season champions in a little less than three weeks. The nearest competitor is college basketball with two – the NIT and NCAA championship.

Everybody’s a winner. It’s like they’re going back to their youth league football days when it didn’t matter who won or lost, but how they played the game.

It’s also an opportunity to see games which likely wouldn’t be scheduled. Outside of the anomalies like Ohio State vs. Texas, which played each other in the regular season two years ago, almost every other game has a team slated against an opponent which it hasn’t seen in years, if ever.

Take for example the Outback Bowl, which features Iowa vs. South Carolina. This match-up has never been seen in college football, and likely would have never been seen if not for the three week championship festival.

Big football programs across the country will be competing against one another in a sport that witnesses little variation. With schedules in college football determined three and four years in advances, the bowl season provides the lone surprise in a sport that offers very little.

The bowl season also determines which conference, top to bottom, is the most talented. Comparable to the ACC/Big Ten challenge in basketball, which schedules each conferences No. 1 vs. the others No. 1, it determines which conference has the most depth.

The 34 games also bring out the frauds and phonies which might have been hiding in a weak conference. Take for example Penn State. The Nittany Lions take on USC in the Rose Bowl, where they have the opportunity to validate the national title consideration they received throughout the year. Or, like their counterparts from the 2008 Rose Bowl, Illinois, get manhandled by the very same team.

Though critics question the bowl games, the bowl games leave a lot less questions than the alternative – playoffs.