Author Archives | Jon Ouellette

Alfond Sports Stadium to install $800,000 high-definition scoreboard

The University of Maine football and outdoor track and field teams will have a new scoreboard to admire beginning next fall.

According to a UMaine release on Thursday, longtime benefactors and alumni Phillip and Susan Morse will be giving the school an $800,000 gift that will be put toward installing a high-definition video scoreboard on Morse Field in the Alfond Sports Stadium. The scoreboard is scheduled to be ready by the time home games and meets start up next fall.

“The long-term generosity and commitment of Phil and Susan Morse to Black Bear Athletics is remarkable and is reflective of the long-term loyalty and focus on excellence so characteristic of our UMaine alumni,” UMaine Pres. Paul Ferguson said in the release. “We are so grateful for their contribution.”

In addition to an HD display and instant replay, the 30-foot wide, 20-foot high scoreboard will feature live remote fan shots, video engagement and posted tweets and texts designed to increase fan interaction.

“The impact of this gift for our football program will be huge,” UMaine head football coach Jack Cosgrove said in the release. “The scoreboard is the single biggest thing we can do to improve the game day atmosphere in the stadium, and I believe it will excite our players, students and fans.”

Morse Field, which is named for its benefactors, also hosts high school track and field, football and field hockey meets in addition to the annual Special Olympics and college football, outdoor track and cross country.

This is the Morse’s third major donation to the school. The 1964 graduates partnered with Harold Alfond to donate $5.25 million for the construction of the new facility in 1997 and added a $1 million contribution in 2008 that went toward the installation of a new playing surface.

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UMaine football set for home matchup against FCS No. 25 Delaware

By Andrew Stefanilo

 The University of Maine Black Bears are 4-1 on the gridiron this season and are coming off a big win against last year’s Colonial Athletic Association champion, the Richmond University Spiders.

The Black Bears went on the road and beat Richmond 28-21 after a solid performance by sophomore running back Nigel Jones and a defense that forced three interceptions.

“Nigel was everything we could have wanted him to be and more,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “He was physical and tough. The cut he made on one touchdown was just a phenomenal cut.”

The win makes UMaine 1-0 in conference play and puts them back in the top 25 at No. 23.

“It was a great win for us,” Cosgrove said. “It was our first conference game and win on the road against a defending champion.”

The Black Bears rushed for 122 yards, 115 of them coming from Jones. Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski completed 26 of his 34 passing attempts for 293 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

“It took a lot of effort from a lot of guys,” Cosgrove said. “It was very hard-hitting football game and went back and forth.”

The Black Bears will be in the friendly confines of Alfond Stadium for just the second time this season when they face 4-1 University of Delaware this Saturday. The Fightin’ Blue Hens are ranked 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision, which should make for a very competitive matchup between two ranked teams.

“With us and Delaware it’s always a highly motivating game. We get excited to play a team that is so rich in tradition and success,” Cosgrove said.

Delaware, like UMaine, has only lost to an FBS opponent when the United States Naval Academy beat them 51-7. However, in their four wins, the Blue Hens have beaten their opponents by an average margin of 21 points.

Delaware’s most recent win came against the then-No. 14 ranked James Madison University Dukes 29-22.

The Black Bear defense has been stout through the first five games of 2013, giving up just under 20 points per game.

“We all just seem to play well as a group. In some weeks there’s a guy that stands out more than others but they’re all a factor and they all have a role in each other’s’ success,” Cosgrove said of the defense.

The Black Bears are minus-two in turnover margin so far this season and are going to have to adjust and fix that if they want to get their fifth win of the season.

“You live at a risky level when you turn the football over,” Cosgrove said. “We really have to just do a better job.”

UMaine’s offense is averaging just over 26 points per game and are going to need to continue with the strong rushing effort from last week.

The Black Bears have played very well so far this season and are looking to use the momentum of their last win against the defending conference champions in their showdown against Delaware.

“We have to continue to play with great discipline. We’re getting better at that. The discipline of doing your job and doing it for 60 minutes is something we think is a strength of ours.” Cosgrove said.

The Black Bears will play at home against Delaware this Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m.

 

By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine Black Bears are 4-1 on the gridiron this season and are coming off a big win against last year’s Colonial Athletic Association champion, the Richmond University Spiders.

The Black Bears went on the road and beat Richmond 28-21 after a solid performance by sophomore running back Nigel Jones and a defense that forced three interceptions.

“Nigel was everything we could have wanted him to be and more,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “He was physical and tough. The cut he made on one touchdown was just a phenomenal cut.”

The win makes UMaine 1-0 in conference play and puts them back in the top 25 at No. 23.

“It was a great win for us,” Cosgrove said. “It was our first conference game and win on the road against a defending champion.”

The Black Bears rushed for 122 yards, 115 of them coming from Jones. Senior quarterback Marcus Wasilewski completed 26 of his 34 passing attempts for 293 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

“It took a lot of effort from a lot of guys,” Cosgrove said. “It was very hard-hitting football game and went back and forth.”

The Black Bears will be in the friendly confines of Alfond Stadium for just the second time this season when they face 4-1 University of Delaware this Saturday. The Fightin’ Blue Hens are ranked 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision, which should make for a very competitive matchup between two ranked teams.

“With us and Delaware it’s always a highly motivating game. We get excited to play a team that is so rich in tradition and success,” Cosgrove said.

Delaware, like UMaine, has only lost to an FBS opponent when the United States Naval Academy beat them 51-7. However, in their four wins, the Blue Hens have beaten their opponents by an average margin of 21 points.

Delaware’s most recent win came against the then-No. 14 ranked James Madison University Dukes 29-22.

The Black Bear defense has been stout through the first five games of 2013, giving up just under 20 points per game.

“We all just seem to play well as a group. In some weeks there’s a guy that stands out more than others but they’re all a factor and they all have a role in each other’s’ success,” Cosgrove said of the defense.

The Black Bears are minus-two in turnover margin so far this season and are going to have to adjust and fix that if they want to get their fifth win of the season.

“You live at a risky level when you turn the football over,” Cosgrove said. “We really have to just do a better job.”

UMaine’s offense is averaging just over 26 points per game and are going to need to continue with the strong rushing effort from last week.

The Black Bears have played very well so far this season and are looking to use the momentum of their last win against the defending conference champions in their showdown against Delaware.

“We have to continue to play with great discipline. We’re getting better at that. The discipline of doing your job and doing it for 60 minutes is something we think is a strength of ours.” Cosgrove said.

The Black Bears will play at home against Delaware this Saturday, Oct. 5 at 3:30 p.m.

 

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UMaine football looks to bounce back against CAA foe Richmond

By Andrew Stefanilo

The University of Maine football team is 3-1 this season after losing their first game to the then-No. 16 ranked team in the nation last Saturday.

The Northwestern University Wildcats got more than they bargained for last weekend against the Black Bears at home despite the 35-21 scoreline.

The Wildcats had previously taken apart Syracuse University and California University before playing the Black Bears.

“It’s colossally disappointing to be in that environment with the opportunity that we ended up seeing come our way and knowing that if we were to do a couple more things better we might have really been in an exciting fourth quarter,” head coach Jack Cosgrove said.

This was the Black Bears second game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.  They beat the University of Massachusetts Minutemen 24-14 in their second game of the season and could have gotten another W on Saturday if it weren’t for some costly turnovers.

“I don’t think Northwestern is a program that plays down when the play an [Football Championship Subdivision] team. That’s a program that radiates energy, excitement and enthusiasm for just playing the game,” Cosgrove said.

Northwestern proved why they’re one of the best in the nation when they took back two interceptions for touchdowns that ended up being one of the deciding factors in the game.

“The spirit of our guys and their competitive level never changed and that was impressive beyond words,” Cosgrove said. “We just kept going. After being down 21-0 we drove right down the field and that’s just a bunch of guys working.”

The Black Bears outgained the Wildcats in total yardage 379-373 and caused a couple turnovers of their own.

“You learn things about yourself and your team especially when you play in these games, and I think everything that we get out of this game is going to have a positive influence on us as a football team.”

The Black Bears can’t dwell on the tough loss. They hit the road again this weekend to start conference play against the Richmond Spiders.

Richmond is the defending Colonial Athletic Association champion. UMaine didn’t get to play them last year, so it’s going take a lot of preparation this week.

“Number one, we have to move on from last game,” Cosgrove said. “That’s how it always is. If you win you have to put it behind you and if you lose you have to put it behind you because it’s over.”

Richmond captured a win last weekend after dropping two straight. They come into the matchup with the Black Bears with a record of 2-2.

One of their losses was a 23-21 heartbreaker to FBS school North Carolina State University. Their latest win was a 30-21 decision against Liberty University.

“They’re an excellent football team and very well coached. We didn’t play them last year so we don’t have a game against their new staff that took over last year,” Cosgrove said.

The Spiders have only given up an average of 14 points per game and both losses have been by a mere two points. Offensively, Richmond is averaging just over 23 points a game.

“They play very physical and they play very fast on both sides of the ball,” Cosgrove said. “They’re just a solid team.”

The Black Bears defense has given up just under 20 points a game and are averaging over 25 points a game on offense. Both teams feature talent on both sides of the ball, a formula that should make for a closely fought contest next Saturday.

“[Being] on the road does take its toll but we’ve learned to cut down on our excuses about that. When we’re on the road we have to go on the road and do it as well as we can,” Cosgrove said.

“It’s another opportunity to win and there’s an emphasis on conference play now. We’re competing for an opportunity to be the conference champion.”

The Black Bears will play at Richmond at 4:00p.m. Sept. 28.

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Monday Night Football preview: Oakland at Denver

On paper, this matchup doesn’t look promising for the Oakland Raiders.

Peyton Manning has looked unstoppable in the first two games of 2013. He sports a quarterback rating of 131 to go along with nine touchdowns in two games, both league-highs. He is one of four starting quarterbacks yet to throw an interception, while the Raiders have yet to force a turnover at all this season. He’ll be playing in the friendly confines of Mile High Stadium, a place known for the home-field advantage it provides the Broncos, who enter Monday with a record of 2-0. And Oakland will be without one of their defensive pillars in safety Tyvon Branch, who is out with a right ankle injury.

Add this up, and it isn’t hard to figure out why 1-1 Oakland enters Monday night as 16.5-point underdogs, according to OddsShark.com.

For the sake of argument, though, let’s say the Raiders have a shot. They’re coming off a 19-9 win against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend, and the quarterback-running back tandem of Terrelle Pryor and Darren McFadden could prove deadly should Pryor come into his own as a thrower.

The Broncos will be without Manning’s star blindside protector in left tackle Ryan Clady following the Lisfranc tear he suffered in his left foot during last Sunday’s victory over Eli Manning and the New York Giants, which is good news for a Raiders’ defense that is currently tied for the league lead in sacks with nine.

Denver is also suffering from injuries on the defensive side of the ball. They’ll be without their leading sack-getter in linebacker Shaun Phillips who is out with back spasms, while veteran cornerback Champ Bailey will be playing in just his first game of 2013 following the left foot injury he suffered last month.

Although these injuries, combined with the fact that it is a divisional game, should help keep the score a little tighter, don’t expect Oakland to pull the upset Monday night.

Manning’s patented no-huddle attack has the Broncos averaging 463 yards and 45 points per game, and with weapons like Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas in the passing game and the capable Knowshon Moreno in the backfield, Denver still has arguably the best offense in the NFL despite Clady’s absence.

Although these two teams have split their last eight meetings, Manning led the Broncos to two wins over the Raiders by a combined score of 63-19 in his first season with Denver last year by completing over 75 percent of his passes in the two contests.

As mentioned before, Pryor and McFadden have both served up decent performances on the young season. Pryor has rushed for 162 yards to go along with the 343 he’s put up through the air despite only accounting for one touchdown so far. McFadden leads the team in rushing with 177 yards and a touchdown, and should see a boat-load of carries Monday night despite the fact that Denver is giving up a league-low 81 yards per game on the ground.

The key for Oakland will be clock management. If Pryor can control the pace and limit Manning’s time on the field, it will go a long way towards making this game competitive. The Broncos busting out to an early lead could force Pryor into throwing the ball more often, however, which would spell trouble for the run-oriented Raiders. The one thing they do not want is to play catch-up against Manning, especially at home.

In all likelihood, Denver will go into their Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles a perfect 3-0. But if Oakland limits their turnovers and controls the clock, Denver could have a hard time covering that 16.5-point spread.

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Offense still an issue for UMaine women’s soccer

By Jacob Posik

The University of Maine women’s soccer team sees their record even up at 3-3-3 on the year following a draw and a loss over the weekend. The Black Bears managed just 12 shots, seven of them on goal, during the two game weekend set.

UMaine fights to 1-1 draw with Northeastern

The University of Maine women’s soccer team tied Northeastern University 1-1 in double overtime Friday night, UMaine’s third straight double-overtime draw.

The Huskies remain winless at 0-5-3 following Friday’s contest.

The first half of regulation play was scoreless, with Northeastern edging the Black Bears in shots 6-2.

UMaine struck first in the second half when senior forward Nikki Misener sent a pass into the box. Receiving Misener’s pass was junior forward Jordan Pellerin who was able to settle the ball before firing a shot past Huskies junior goalkeeper Paige Burnett. It was Pellerin’s first tally of the season.

Northeastern tied the game just eight minutes later on a goal by sophomore midfielder Morgan Hilby, who sent a rocket past UMaine freshman netminder Claudia Dube-Trempe. Dube-Trempe was making her collegiate debut for UMaine, and finished with four saves on five shots.

Neither team was capable of scoring for the remainder of regulation or either of the overtime periods.

The Huskies finished the game with a 12-6 advantage in shots. Burnett made two saves in net for the Huskies.

Sophomore midfielder Charlene Achille led UMaine in shots with three, including two on net.

Black Bears fall to Big Green 1-0

The Dartmouth College Big Green improve their record to 2-3-1 on the season following their 1-0 victory over UMaine on Sunday.

Both teams were scoreless throughout the first half of play. Dartmouth struck in the 63rd minute of action when Big Green sophomore defender Jackie Friedman assisted on senior midfielder Emma Brush’s third goal of the season.

Each team put six shots on net in the game. The Black Bears managed four shots on goal to Dartmouth’s three.

UMaine sophomore netminder Lauren Swant saved two shots in net during the 90 minutes of play, moving her to 3-2-2 in net this season. Junior goalkeeper Tatiana Saunders stopped all four shots in net for Dartmouth.

UMaine now moves into America East play with a home matchup against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Sept. 29 at 12 p.m. Dartmouth stays home to host University of Massachusetts-Lowell Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.

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Suh’s on-field issues send a mixed message

By Anthony Panciocco

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been dominating the NFL since he was drafted second overall in the 2010 draft. A physical freak of nature, Suh plays with the emotion and ferocity that champions are made of. He was named the most charitable player in the NFL by the Giving Back Fund, and was recently named a team captain. He claims to have “grown up” and his character off the field has never been questioned.

 

So what’s not to like? It is his on-the-field antics that often endanger the well-being of his fellow players that has people wondering who the real Suh is.

 

Suh’s history of misconduct started after he was drafted, the first major incident coming on Thanksgiving Day in 2011. After an ordinary play was ruled dead and the whistle was blown, Suh shoved Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith’s head into the ground three times and stomped on his arm as he walked away.

 

After the game, Suh acted as though he was completely innocent, saying that “a lot of people are going to interpret it as or create their own storylines for seeing what they want to interpret. But I know what I did, and the man upstairs knows what I did.”

 

Had you not seen the play, the quote made him sound like a man who truly believed he was innocent of whatever he was accused of. Five days later he made a 180-degree turn, admitting on his Facebook page that he had “made a mistake” and “would have to deal with it,” our first glimpse of two-faced Suh. The incident led NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend him for two games without pay.

 

Exactly a year later, Suh kicked Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin as he fell to the turf. He was fined $30,000 for the incident and refused to comment on it. To add to his rich history of fines and misconduct, he elbowed Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler to the ground, ripped the helmet off Cincinatti Bengal’s signal-caller Andy Dalton, and threw the Cleveland Browns’ Jake Delhomme to the ground by his helmet well after the play ended. It took Suh just two years in the league to rack up $177,550 in fines and establish himself as a “dirty player” amongst his peers.

 

Last offseason, things started to change. Suh was voted a team captain and it was reported on ESPN that he had taken charge in a players-only meeting to preach about the importance of keeping their emotions in check during games and eliminating silly penalties. Even head coach Jim Schwartz chimed in, complementing the Nebraska University product on how much he had matured. It seemed that Suh was finally figuring out how to channel his emotions in a positive way on the field.

 

The facade that Suh had masterfully created in the offseason was quickly revealed after his Week 1 incident against the Minnesota Vikings. While the Lions were returning an interception for an easy touchdown, Suh dove at the knees of offensive lineman John Sullivan and could have very easily ended the center’s season despite the fact that Sullivan was nowhere near the ball. The interception was called back, putting the ball back in the hands of the Vikes. Suh had failed to keep his emotions in check and committed a silly penalty that cost his team seven points. Sound familiar?

 

So is Suh a two-sided coin? Sure. There is the face that masterfully courts the media, donates millions to charities and never asks for anything in return.

 

That other side of him is behind the facemask, and has the potential to endanger his fellow football players at any given moment. When asked about this latest episode, Suh said, “I don’t change.”

 

Eventually, he’s going to have to.

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What can we expect from the Celtics in 2013-14?

By Andrew Stefanilo

The Boston Celtics have gone through an interesting offseason to say the least. With the departure of head coach Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers and sure-fire Hall-of-Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett now in Brooklyn, it became clear that this team is in a full-on rebuild.

There are fans out there who still want to see them completely start from scratch and get rid of All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo. Although Rondo’s personality on the court isn’t the best, this is his team to lead if he wants it, and he’s still one of the best pure floor generals in the NBA.

Everyone expects the C’s to get a lottery pick and draft one of the many talented players in what is supposed to be one of the best draft classes in years this spring.

 

Unfortunately, the Celtics aren’t going to be that bad. If everyone is healthy, they’re likely going to the playoffs as the seven- or eight-seed. It’s kind of a predicament because they aren’t good enough to have a real shot at contending in the Eastern Conference, but at the same time, they aren’t bad enough to secure a top pick in the 2014 draft.

They’re a young team that’s going to run the floor, and although they’re not a championship contender, I look forward to seeing them play what could be a different style of basketball than in years past.

The front court isn’t terrible, with rookie big man Kelly Olynyk out of Gonzaga joining Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger and Kris Humphries after his promising summer. They won’t lead the league in rebounding, but first year head coach Brad Stevens has proven to be a master of exceeding expectations after his successful tenure in college hoops with mid-major Butler University.

The Celts won’t dominate by any means, but this team isn’t going to be as bad as expected unless they get plagued with injuries or get rid of Rondo.

Although Kevin Garnett is gone, the C’s should still be strong defensively. The biggest struggle for them will likely be scoring. I’m interested to see who picks up what they’ve lost in that department with the departure of Pierce.

They don’t have any true star when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Jeff Green had some solid games last year bouncing back and forth between the small and power forward spots, and I look for him to take on more of the scoring load this winter. Rondo is going to distribute as he always has, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him call his own number more often, especially on a team that lacks a pure, go-to scorer.

Another key player is going to be Avery Bradley. We all know he’s a great defender but he’s another player on the roster that needs to take more shots. He’s well on his way to being the next great perimeter defender in the NBA, but if he can find a way to knock down the open jumpers that are sure to come as a product of playing alongside Rondo, he could have a breakout year offensively.

No one left on the team averaged more than 14 points per game last year — Rondo leads all returning Celtics with a 13.7 average. However, Green is coming off a solid year and showed he can score when he averaged 20.3 PPG in the playoffs. As a team, the C’s were 18th in PPG and 12th in points allowed.

Besides scoring, the Celtics need to work on rebounding. They were 29th in the NBA in rebounding last year. Behind Garnett’s team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game is Bass with 6.2. Olynyk and Humphries should grab a lot of rebounds and try to fill the void left by Garnett. Boston won’t be terrible defensively, but if they can’t clean up the other teams’ misses, it won’t matter how solid they are on that end of the floor.

With less than a month left until preseason starts, we’ll see how the C’s play and if General Manager Danny Ainge has something up his sleeve this season.

If this new Celtics team progresses over the season they’ll be a formidable opponent for any team. They’ll likely sneak into the playoffs and get a mediocre pick in the draft. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

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With beards and chemistry, Red Sox poised for playoff run

By Cody Lachance

Just for fun, I recently took a look back at predictions that professional baseball analysts made for the Boston Red Sox this season. No one gave them a fighting chance, predicting that they would miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Most even had them finishing in the basement of the brutal American League East.

The funniest part of these predictions was how many of these “experts” had the Toronto Blue Jays winning the division. As of game number 147, the Red Sox find themselves 9.5 games ahead of the second-place Tampa Bay Rays and 22 games ahead of the cellar-dwelling Blue Jays.

What these analysts forgot to consider was how large of a role chemistry has on a baseball team. Major League Baseball’s 162-game schedule is the longest of the four major sport leagues, which can create more opportunities for these teams to crumble and fall apart. But not for these Sox.

Upper management, led by General Manager Ben Cherington, identified an issue with clubhouse chemistry and sought to change it. This shift towards a more unified clubhouse started last summer when the team pulled off a huge deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent away “bad eggs” Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett.

In the offseason, the Red Sox went after guys that they felt would have instant positive impacts on chemistry and team morale: outfielder Shane Victorino, first baseman Mike Napoli, and most notably, outfielder Jonny Gomes.

Gomes has helped multiple teams make the playoffs, including the 2008 American League Champion Rays, the 2010 Cincinnati Reds and most recently, the 2012 Oakland Athletics. There are certain aspects about a player like Gomes that allow him to have large, positive impacts on a team without putting up great numbers or even being an everyday player. That is one of the characteristics about baseball that continue to make it America’s favorite pastime.

Looking back on the 2004 Red Sox season, one of the most notable characteristics of the team was hair, both on their heads and on their faces.

This 2013 Red Sox team has taken a page from the history books and is bringing back this wild-man look. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Napoli and Gomes all look like they’ve been stranded in the Rocky Mountains for months. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia is not only rocking a fierce beard, but also has long, wavy hair flowing out of the back of his catcher’s mask. Even starting pitcher Clay Bucholz is sporting long, wavy hair and a dirty mustache and goatee combo. It’s small teambuilding factors like these that can truly bind a team together and get them working towards the same goal. There is only one thing on the mind of every player that calls Fenway Park home: a World Series championship.

Although chemistry and team camaraderie are important, at the end of the day, one of the largest factors that make the Red Sox a lethal October contender is the fact the team can flat out play. With the return of Bucholz to his pre-injury form, the Red Sox can go four starters deep come the postseason. Bucholz, Jon Lester, Jake Peavy and John Lackey all have the ability to pitch like aces on any given day, and the offense is one of the best in baseball.

Designated hitter David Ortiz, Napoli and third baseman Will Middlebrooks provide pop in the middle of a lineup that features one of the fastest leadoff men in baseball in center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury as well as a middle infield dominated by the gutsy Pedroia and one of baseball’s top prospects in shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Throw in some key utility players like Gomes and outfielder/first baseman Daniel Nava and you have a recipe for a playoff run.

 

Will the Red Sox win the World Series this year? It is still way too early to tell. But there is no doubt that they will be playing in the postseason this year. Looking around the league, the Red Sox can match up with nearly any roster in not only the AL, but in the National League as well.

The pessimists who instantly bring up Boston’s September collapse of 2011 can put those thoughts away. As a Red Sox fan, I’ll keep an open mind and cheer this team on in the hopes that they will win it all.

 

Anything can happen in the postseason. It is entirely possible that another playoff-bound squad will get hot down the stretch and ride that momentum all the way. I don’t think anyone wants to make a trip to Fenway in October to face the bearded men of Boston, though.

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Fantasy football advice for Week 3

By Jacob Posik

 

With week two still freshly in fantasy owners’ minds, here are some tips for week three to make sure your mistakes don’t continue and your triumphs don’t stagnate.

 

Start ‘em

 

There are a few matchups this week that should pose some serious fantasy point opportunities for a few different players.

 

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant should have a heyday against the St. Louis Rams defense next weekend. The Rams pass defense is mediocre at best, and quarterback Tony Romo and Bryant have one of the better quarterback-wide receiver tandems in the league. Bryant’s superior speed and size should be enough to out-jump and out-run the Rams’ secondary. It would not be a surprise to see the talented young wideout put up at least 17 fantasy points.

 

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson should put up impressive numbers in Week 3 as well. Playing against what is easily the worst team in the NFL in the Jacksonville Jaguars, look for Wilson to have at least two passing touchdowns and one rushing. Start Zach Miller at tight end and Sydney Rice at wide receiver, two of Wilson’s favorite targets, if you have them. They should both have 15-point performances a piece, with Wilson could easily max out around the 28-point mark.

 

As long as he’s healthy, New York Giants wideout Victor Cruz should also play well this weekend. The Carolina Panthers aren’t exactly a defensive powerhouse, and with the help of quarterback Eli Manning, Cruz could break out for a huge point performance. He is Manning’s favorite and most consistent target, and with his uncanny speed and versatility, Cruz is a mismatch for virtually every secondary in the league, let alone the Panthers’.

 

Sit ‘em

 

If Andrew Luck is your starting quarterback, it might be a good idea to sit him against the San Francisco 49ers this weekend. The Colts’ quarterback put up great numbers against the Miami Dolphins last week, but I don’t think his “luck” will hold up against arguably the best defense in the NFL. The 49ers’ secondary is top-notch, with ball hawks like Nnamdi Asomugha and Carlos Rogers at cornerback as well as Eric Reid and Donte Whitner at safety.

 

Luck is still young, and makes poor decisions in the pocket. If San Francisco’s elite pass-rushers like Aldon and Justin Smith can make life difficult for Luck, those mistakes could continue.  I predict Luck will get intercepted at least twice next week, totaling only 12 points on the day. San Francisco’s D-unit is just that potent.

 

Houston Texans’ running back Arian Foster and Jacksonville feature-back Maurice Jones-Drew are also players you should sit next week. Foster is facing a stout run defense against the Baltimore Ravens, and Jones-Drew is seeing the same against Seattle. Foster will feel pressure from backup Ben Tate all season unless he proves he can carry the same load he has the past two seasons, and the Seahawks’ defense is another fantasy nightmare for running backs.

 

Of course, both Foster and Jones-Drew are arguably two of the ten best runners in the NFL and are capable of having big days against virtually anybody.  Both players will likely underperform against these defenses next week, but if you have no other option at running back, it isn’t the end of the world.

 

Making these changes to your starting fantasy rosters should help maximize your point total next week.

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UMaine cross country performs well at Amherst meet

By Anthony Panciocco

 

The University of Maine’s men’s and women’s cross country teams visited Totman Field in Amherst, Mass. for the University of Massachusetts Invite Meet Saturday morning. Totman Field is considered one of the best cross country courses in the U.S. and was ideal for UMaine’s second meet of the year.  The meet included the University of Vermont, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Connecticut and Amherst College.

 

The men’s team ran well, edging out UMass-Amherst for second place by a score of 69-70. UMaine was led by senior Kelton Cullenberg, who won the meet with a blistering time of 19:15:12. Cullenberg has been an elite runner all four years and was also the first Black Bear to cross the line in their last meet.

 

Fellow senior Alexander Moser placed third overall in the meet to complete UMaine’s one-two punch on the men’s side. He finished at 19:26:99, a strong time. Senior Ryan Hardiman, junior Jarrod Lenfest and freshman Levi Frye were UMaine’s third, fourth and fifth finishers, respectively.

 

The UMaine women competed well in a strong field, taking fifth place in their race. The meet was dominated by Boston College, who scored just 23 points and blew out the rest of the competition.  The Eagles were followed by UConn with 55 points, Vermont with 61, UMass with 81 and Amherst with 157.

UMaine’s top three runners finished within 15 seconds of each other. Sophomore Annabelle Wilson was the first Black Bear to cross, finishing with a time of 18:41:74 to lead UMaine for the second meet in a row. Juniors Carolyn Stocker and Rachel Wilkinson crossed next for UMaine 15 seconds after Wilson finished.

 

It was a strong day for UMaine cross country, with both squads showing promise.The men’s team has some experience up front with Cullenberg and Moser leading the pack, but their third runner, Levi Frye, is a freshman who looks to have great potential and some strong leaders to learn from. Their team features seven underclassmen and just three runners graduating next year.

 

The women have a much larger team, but will only lose three runners next year.  The future is certainly bright.

 

The cross country teams return to Orono to take on rival University of New Hampshire Sept. 20 at 3 p.m.

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