Along the sports spectrum, there is no game as isolative as golf. Its mastery seems to involve not just physical prowess, but even more importantly a zen-like mastery of emotions, a razor focus and an innate knowledge of oneself.

Time and time again, history has proven that a game so tailored to the individual grows ever more complex when played within the confines of a team.

Take the Ryder Cup, golf’s grandest stage for this format. The likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson falling at the hands of a nearly anonymous European collective stands as a poignant reminder that team success requires more than a singular effort. This year, the U.S. got it right: assembling a group of talents and personalities that melded into a cohesive unit, taking back the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008.

But for the Drexel faithful, this wasn’t the only laudable team performance that took place on fairways and greens this weekend. The Dragons traveled to tiny Apalachin, New York Oct. 2 to participate in the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational. Hosted by nearby Binghamton University, the tournament was set at the Links at Hiawatha Landing, a par 72 venue nestled along the banks of the Susquehanna River.

At 7,200 yards, and without any forced shots over water or blind tee shots, the Hiawatha advertises that players “create their own challenge,” unique to the ever-changing riverside conditions of the day. But as with many links offerings, on the right day of the week it is susceptible to low scores, and Sunday was one of those days.

The Dragons came out of the gate firing, posting a combined score of 277, a staggering 11 under par. This round tied the school record of team score to par, set in 2005 at the James Madison Invitational.

Leading the way for Drexel was junior Adam Mistretta. Mistretta posted a career-best seven under 65 on the day, just one shot shy of the school record of eight under held by Sean Semenetz, but the round was still able to give him a two shot lead over his nearest competitor in the 15 school field.

Mistretta wasn’t the only Dragon in red figures after day one, however. Freshman Connor Schmidt continued his hot collegiate start, shooting five under 67, while junior Aaron Fricke ended with a solid 71. When the dust settled, Drexel lay comfortably with a two shot lead over host Binghamton and the Towson Tigers.

Overnight, it seemed, the Mark Mungeam design buckled down and increased its difficulty, causing team scores from all over the field to jump closer to even par. Connor Schmidt carried his strong start over to Monday, though, determined to keep Drexel in the hunt for a victory. His two under 70 was good enough for a third overall finish, just two shots behind the nine under finish by Lehigh’s Owen Quinn. Yoseph Dance had a good day himself, leaving his first round 75 in the rearview mirror with a final round 70.

As a team, the Dragons posted a composite score of 565, a full five strokes better than the previous school mark for a 36 hole tournament. Only the historic 2005 Keenan Invitational, when Drexel shot a 13 under 839, betters this weekend’s performance in terms of team score to par. The Dragon’s record setting performance earned them a first place tie at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational with St. Bonaventure University.

The team looks to continue its hot play at local North Hills Country Club at LaSalle’s Fall Match Play tournament Oct. 10.

For many, fall is synonymous with an end. The leaves change color and begin their mass migration from branch to ground, the heat gives way to a chill in the air, and the carefree summer months are officially replaced with the responsibilities of another school year.

But for a small population of Dragons, this latter reality brings with it an overwhelming sense of promise. For the Drexel Field Hockey team, the 2016-2017 campaign falls into this category: one with high expectations for this year’s squad.

As is the reality in all of college athletics, one of the largest obstacles to overcome is inevitable loss of talent due to graduation. For the Dragons, this meant saying farewell to five seniors, led by four-time All-CAA Lauren Hibshman. Hibshman’s shoes will admittedly be tough to fill. In addition to her league honors, she was a NFHCA Division I All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team honoree, led Drexel to three CAA championship appearances and was a two-time Helen Calls Reisner Most Valuable Player Awardee.

However, it seems as though Drexel is well-equipped to handle even a loss of this magnitude. Coming into this season, the roster is a healthy mix of young talent and veteran experience. The team welcomes in five new players in Ally Chapis, Tess Horan, Tess Bernheimer, Maria Palmieri and sophomore transfer Delaney Baxendale, previously of the University of Maine. It appears as if this crop of talent is poised to make an impact this season for the Dragons, with both Bernheimer and Horan notching goals in preseason play.

A plentiful sophomore class (12 of the 19 rostered players) also promises to make its mark upon this upcoming year. The group is led by a trio of Katie Bagdon, a starter in all 19 games of 2015; Erin Gilchrist, a goalkeeper recently named to the Scottish national team and Megan Wiest, who along with Bagdon was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. Wiest, a forward, looks to especially shoulder more of an offensive load this year after her All-CAA Second Team honors and an honorable mention in the 2016 conference preseason poll.

But as talented as the sophomore class is, it’s fair to say that much of this season’s  prospects ride on the shoulders of Senior Jessica McCarthy. McCarthy returns brandishing All-CAA Second Team and NFHCA Division I Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team accolades and a cumulative career that automatically garners respect from teammate and opponent alike. Last season alone, she was the Dragon’s most potent offensive threat, recording 12 points, including five goals, an accomplishment that led to her recent selection to the CAA Field Hockey Preseason Team.

As a team captain this year, she looks to not only build on her individual successes, but also to take the leadership reigns from Hibshman and rally her team to yet another championship berth.

Such an accomplishment is easier said than done when faced with the stiff competition that the CAA offers. For the third consecutive year, Delaware promises to be a powerhouse, led by senior Esmee Peet, the three-time preseason Player of the Year nominee and a 2015 first team All American. James Madison and Hofstra are also projected to finish above Drexel, who is ranked fourth in the preseason standings. In order to maintain this position and qualify for the league playoffs, the Dragons will have to fight off Northeastern University, College of William & Mary and Towson University.

This quest begins with their home opener, a matchup with the Richmond University  Spiders at noon Aug. 28. Other notable contests include those with city rivals St. Joseph’s University Sept. 9, Temple University Sept. 11 and the University of Pennsylvania on Sept. 27. However, league play will be the key to this season, kicking off with an all-important battle with Northeastern University Sept. 30 and capped off with an Oct. 30 season finale with the University of Delaware Blue Hens. Home games will be played at Buckley Field on 43rd Street and Powelton Avenue, a short walk from the University City campus, so try to support as much as possible and wish the best of luck to the Dragons this upcoming year.

Coming into the 31st Olympiad, glamorous headlines abounded: the return of a changed Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt’s quest for immortality, the United States gymnastics team’s dominating spirit. The promise of excellence in all forms, from the basketball court to the ping pong table, enthralled millions around the globe. But perhaps lost among the pomp and circumstance that characterize the Games was the return of golf after a 104 year hiatus.

While the game of golf is world renowned (its stars are some of the most recognizable athletes in competitive sport), its quiet return to the Olympics was not without good reason.

Many argued that golf simply didn’t need to return to the Olympic spotlight. Its majors and PGA tour events take place all over the globe and promise substantial monetary winnings to many of the top finishers. It also already has its own international competition, the Ryder Cup, whose format has proved to be an exciting and patriotic outlet for the sport. Why then, would its leaders and ambassadors push so hard for this stage, a stage that on the surface could offer the piteously abstract promise of national achievement and the ability to call oneself an Olympian?

And why this specific venue, whose many turbulent factors almost certainly guaranteed a nightmarish outcome for the game and its participants? Questions over corruption in choosing the new Olympic course’s location, the delays in construction and environmental implications of its existence led many to think that a venue would not even be available for these Rio Games. Pundits scoffed at the course’s supposed ease of play. Others claimed that the surface hadn’t had enough time to mature and questioned whether it would be a fair test for the athletes.

Then factor in the tepid reactions by the game’s brightest stars. The top five ranked golfers in the world chose to sit out the event citing the concerns over the Zika virus, safety risks and other health-related terms. Skeptics argue that these wealthy and popular athletes simply don’t see the importance in such an event, an idea echoed by the fourth ranked golfer in the sport.

When Rory Mcllroy, one of the game’s most recognizable young faces, was asked which sports he would be watching, he responded with a refreshing dose of brutal honesty: “I’m not sure golf will be one of the events I watch … Probably events like track and field, swimming, diving … the stuff that matters.”

With all these factors and practically fate itself working to derail golf’s Olympic return, it was most certainly a massive disappointment, a gigantic blow to a sport that has worked hard to make itself more accessible to a wider demographic in hopes of staving off the decline in participation that it has seen over the past decade. Right?

Wrong.

In fact, it was just the opposite. Not only was it finished in time, the golf course was praised by golfers and analysts alike for its unique challenges and call for the athlete’s creativity. Scores were low, but did not surpass those at this past year’s Masters, located at arguably the greatest golf course in the world, Augusta National Golf Club. And though maybe the top golfers in terms of ranking were not present, superb golf was still evident, as the battle for gold came down to a breathtaking duel between two champions, this year’s British Open winner Henrik Stenson and 2013’s U.S. Open victor, Justin Rose. In the end though, it was Rose who knocked a 38-yard pitch just 2 feet from the hole to clinch the gold on the final hole of the tournament. It was a classic ending that a successful tournament so deserved.

But I think, more than anything else, the success of golf at this year’s Olympics proves that sometimes it is easy to forget just how extraordinary the Olympics really are. For these 17 days, conventional international politics are replaced with a different set of relations, those governed simply by the rules of sport. Rivalries heat up and inspire athletes to rise and achieve their very best, but exist only in the frame of their sport: left in the pool, on the track, on the court.

In this utopian existence, the individual is unfettered from the conventional worries, barriers or norms that may stand in their way. For in the Olympics, the only criterion for success is human excellence in any of its many forms, an idea so pure that it carries with it a euphoria and magic that is tangible to all those who get to experience its fleeting powers.

Just look at the reaction of Justin Rose, the Olympic champion, whose violent fist bump and guttural roar revealed how powerful the Olympic ideal and sense of patriotic duty can be. See the United States’ Matt Kuchar, whose third place finish caused him to well up in a post-round interview.

“I can assure you I’ve never been so excited to finish top three in my life,” Kuchar told the Golf Channel, “I realize it’s third, but I’ve never felt this sort of pride bursting out of my chest before.”

Even those who did not end up on the medal podium were still smitten by Olympic fervor. Bubba Watson relished the opportunity to shed the often isolative nature of his sport to become part of his first Olympic team, calling it “the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been a part of.” Historically, Watson’s interpretation of faith has caused him to come in conflict with the LGBT community. Putting the conflicts of his faith aside, he’s now called meeting the most celebrated openly gay athlete in American history, Greg Louganis, the favorite part of his trip. Watson even went so far as to call the guy a legend.

Maybe this is why we’re so attracted to the Olympics. Yes, there are few better ways to fill a lazy summer afternoon than with some live whitewater kayaking action or badminton doubles matches. And where else will men’s omnium, even just for a few minutes, take center stage in the world of sport.

But I think above all else, as the exterior world becomes more and more contentious by the year, the Olympic Games prove that humanity is still capable of prevailing against even the steepest of physical barriers, of producing inspiring performances, and, most importantly, of, even just for these 17 days, putting our differences aside in the pursuit of the most noble of all human pursuits: that of unimaginable brilliance. And though Rory Mcllroy may think otherwise, nothing matters quite as much as that.

It’s the dog days of summer. Heat and humidity suffocate and slow life down in the Philadelphia area. Thirst, sweat and the temptation of vacations to the shore abound. To make matters worse, for those who look to sports for inspiration, excitement, or entertainment, the void that currently exists in the local scene can seem equally oppressive (no offense to all the Phillies faithful out there).

Enter the NBA Summer League. To the objective outsider, the concept of spending any amount of time watching borderline NBA talent grace half-empty gyms sounds desperate. The idea of watching more than one full game, pathetic. The notion of obsessing over these performances and using such meaningless scrimmages to project the futures of players or teams, nothing short of absurd.

And yet, that is what I, and countless other devoted disciples of ex-GM Sam Hinkie’s “process”, have spent the last couple of weeks doing. Herein lies the beauty of the Summer League: it morphs fans and NBA executives alike into  6-year-olds during late Christmas morning: marveling for the first time over their shiny new toys, taken out of the packaging for the very first time.

There has been no more coveted rookie in recent memory than No. 25 for the Sixers, Ben Simmons. Since his senior year of high school, Simmons has been surrounded by an unimaginable level of hype, mentioned in the same breath as the greatest player on the planet, LeBron James. However, stowed away in the mediocrity of the LSU program that failed to make the NCAA Tournament, he has been, in a way, a hidden commodity. He skipped the NBA Draft Combine and instead voted to workout privately in Phoenix, leaving fans to gawk at his alluring highlight tapes. So for many of the Sixers faithful, the Summer League was the first opportunity to see if Simmons was as-advertised.

And, boy, did he not disappoint. Sure shortcomings were there. The shooting stroke was inconsistent (though not fundamentally flawed), the work ethic sometimes left something to be desired, decision-making was questionable, and naturally, immaturity shone through at times.

All in all, however, his performance was incredibly impressive, rewarded recently with the First Team All Summer League honors. His unorthodox stat-line speaks to just how unorthodox of a player he is (12.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists per game), but they certainly fall short in telling the whole impression that the young Australian native made during his time in Vegas.

First and foremost, the game seemed effortless to him. Speaking on strictly intangibles, Simmons certainly fit right in on an NBA floor. His six-foot-10-inch frame was not the wiry, immature body of a typical 19-year-old. The 20 plus pounds of muscle that he added after his college campaign were evident, and he seemed to have little difficulty adjusting to the speed and strength of the NBA game. One of the striking features of watching him play is simply to see him move on the floor. For his size, his grace and smoothness is truly remarkable, and does (though I am extremely careful at divulging in this comparison), evoke the image of another freak athlete who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Though he was consistently knocked for his lack of scoring, there was a tangible sense that it was simply a matter of personal choice: that he could have scored if he wanted to (as shown by his 18-point performance vs. the Bulls), but he was simply too enthralled by his own passing wizardry.

Because despite some thunderous dunks or excellent scoring performances by other Summer League participants, Simmons stole the show with passes that could take a viewer’s breath away. They came in all shapes and sizes: looking away, behind the back, rocketed the length of the court, weaved between defenders on the bounce, deftly touched on to a fellow big man. These situations are where we really got to see his full arsenal of talents, size, athleticism and intellect. And for some, to see him grab a rebound and lead a break was to see the beloved leader of the “Showtime” Lakers, Magic Johnson.

Such innate vision and ability is a lethal combination, especially when paired with the other young talent that the Sixers now have on their roster. Some were on full display over the past few weeks as well, including the wiry Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, another first round selection by the Sixers, who wowed with his athleticism and solid three-point shooting stroke. Or the gutty Brandon Paul, who proved that his three professional years in Spain and the NBA Development League have led to big improvements on his time as a slashing guard at the University of Illinois. Not to mention the likes of Okafor, Embiid, Noel and the newly-acquired Dario Saric, who were not even featured on the team’s Summer League roster. What’s most encouraging, therefore, is that the skill set that Simmons put on display might also be exactly what the Sixers may need after all: Brett Brown’s insinuations that he may use his prospect as a point guard down the line could make room for the rest of the front court talent that the team has amassed.

So yes, it feels like the dog days of summer for many of us. And for Sixers fans, this feeling has been all-too familiar over the past few years. But after years of floundering in some of the worst seasons in not only team history, but arguably in all of NBA history, the talent on the floor at the Summer League has shown that these days may be numbered.

Let the Ben Simmons era begin.

Dear Jerry Colangelo,

When Mark Tatum pulled the Sixers classic red, white, and blue logo from its sealed envelope on May 21, revealing your coveted status as holder of the first pick in next month’s NBA draft, I’m sure you could almost hear the fan base’s collective exhalation. For many, this seemed to be the most critical component of the notorious “process” began by your predecessor, Sam Hinkie, upon his arrival three years ago. The finish line was near: a city so rich in basketball history and culture would once again have a competitive professional team. But Tatum’s announcement was much more than a landmark step in a grueling process, it was a sign of its definitive end. Now it’s time for a new process, your process, where it’s time to start seeing results.

Hinkie’s version of the process was one based in liquidation and acquisition of “assets,” a term rivaled in vagueness perhaps only by the reference to a prospect’s “ceiling” (another term that Philadelphia fans have and will continue to hear over the coming years). Sure this required some efforts and some maneuvering among others for deals. And while the memories of the horrific product that has been marched out over the past few years causes me to grimace as I write this, he actually did do a pretty good job. Along with his toddler-candy esque obsession for second-round picks, Hinkie managed to acquire first round picks from other franchises, including two additional selections later in this year’s draft and more to come in the future.

But his expertise seemingly ended there: in the assets themselves, right at the brink of the all-important conversion into actual, tangible talent. Your hiring and Hinkie’s subsequent 13-page resignation virtually cemented this fact. And now you, with a reputation overwhelming pure from the embarrassments of the past few seasons, are a kid in a Hinkie-built candy store, with shelves brimming with potential draft picks and cap space galore.

A man so widely known and respected for your basketball intelligence, combined with these resources, invites an emotion completely foreign to the city over the past decade: anticipation. No, not like anticipation from an Ish Smith-led winning streak, or from a shaky video of Joel Embiid dunking in practice. Legitimate excitement for a championship-caliber team in the near future. And as the days since the announcement of the first overall pick continue to mount, so too does the realization of just how crucial this summer is to the future of the franchise. Because with the unknown of the team’s draft position now crystallized, it is becoming equally clear just how uncertain many of your other prospects really are.

Take Joel Embiid, hailed by scouts for his rare blend of size and grace on the court, has still yet to play a competitive game with the Sixers. Sure, I’ve come early along with another couple dozen of Sixers fans, as Embiid went through his pre-game shooting workouts. I’ve seen his quickness in his execution of several post moves in succession, his soft hands, his fluid shooting stroke. And admittedly, it’s hard not to get excited, especially with this week’s announcement via Instagram that he is “#FinallyHealthy.” But the combination of a very large human with very bad feet and knees has historically failed to produce NBA success, and sometimes the ex-Kansas standout appears to waver his self-proclaimed laser focus in favor of headline-grabbing social media escapades (even now, he can’t resist a Twitter attempt at convincing free agent Kevin Durant to join him next season).

Take Dario Saric, a player who perhaps has a Durant-like skill set himself. At 6’10,” he lacks some quickness and athleticism, but is a lethal shooter from deep: shooting an impressive 40 percent from beyond the three point line, including a blistering 75 percent over his last 5 games in Turkey. His highlight tapes can cause even the most conservative basketball minds to raise their eyebrows in anticipation. But questions remain as to his commitment to a franchise that he has never suited up for. In a summer where a large majority of the Sixers’ future must be built, this hesitance from Saric could cripple them going forward.

And then there are the questions that surround the pieces that have actually stepped on the floor of the Wells Fargo Center. As it stands today, you commandeer a frontcourt-dominated basketball team, admittedly a result of bad luck in the last few drafts. It doesn’t take a basketball guru to look at the two teams in the NBA Finals, especially the defending champion Golden State Warriors, and see that the game is trending outwards from the paint to the three point arc. Will you trade Jahlil Okafor, whose attitude and effort have raised questions about his future in Philadelphia, for a draft pick that you could use on Jamal Murray or Kris Dunn? (I argue that Okafor’s talent and proven offensive game is simply too much to give up, and that his effort may simply be a result of immaturity and a reflection of the lack of talent that surrounds him.) Should you trade Nerlens Noel, who may be the Sixers most consistent player over the past few years? (Noel has athleticism and work ethic, but his total lack of offensive skill outside of three feet may limit him in the future.)

So sure, the Sixers seem to be right on the brink. But you and the Sixers now find yourselves in an exceedingly difficult position, one where you have to factor in the multitude of moving parts within your organization in addition to the fickle landscape of the NBA in general. And oh, by the way, your fans have invested too much emotionally and financially over the past few years for you to fail. So enjoy having the first round pick. Enjoy finding the franchise player we have waited for since Allen Iverson. Enjoy the opportunity of building a team where a success will result in the awakening of a fan base with a passion that you probably have never experienced.

Just don’t mess this up for us.

Sincerely,

Nick

The post Maloney: an open letter to Jerry Colangelo appeared first on The Triangle.

Photo courtesy Drexeldragons.com

Entering their April 16 matchup with Towson University, it was fair to say that something was a little off for the Drexel university softball team. They seemed to be just on the precipice of making a strong run through the start of CAA play, but had been unable to put together a complete performance of stellar pitching supported by a productive offensive day at the plate. Unfortunately for the team, the unseasonable snow that wafted down may have been an ominous sign of things to come, perhaps an indication of the temperature of the offensive attack for the Dragons in their next four games.

After Saturday’s game was snowed out, Drexel and Towson were forced to play a doubleheader the next day, and things began poorly. A four run first frame for the Tigers quickly set Drexel back, and despite a leadoff home run by junior Baeley Reed and a 4-4 performance by senior Paula Ueno, reigning CAA player of the week, the squad was unable to string together those hits into run-producing innings.

Drexel’s streakiness was what separated the two sides in this matchup: both Drexel and Towson actually had the same amount of hits (8), but the Tigers were able to convert these into 8 runs compared to the 2 for the home side.

In the second leg of the double header, it appeared as if things would be different. After a scoreless first inning and a half, Drexel unleashed an onslaught of singles. Hits by junior Erin Okoniewski, junior Kimberly Chan, and junior Taylor Lee loaded the bases, and three more by junior Sharon Zamora, freshman Jenelle Ladrido, and Paula Ueno resulted in a four run inning.

Any potential relief that they might have felt after finally posting a crooked number in an inning was quickly dashed however, as Towson’s sophomore Shelby Stratcher responded immediately by belting a 3 run homer to left. The Dragons were able to settle down behind senior Tara Konopka, who continued to baffle hitters until the 6th, when things began to click for Towson to the tune of a 7 run frame, almost certainly demoralizing an invigorated Drexel side en route to their 12-2 victory.

The Dragons only had a few days to gather themselves before their Wednesday, April 13 matchup with rival University of Pennsylvania, who came into the contest with a four-game losing streak of their own. However, the Quakers were able to jump out quickly to a 2-0 lead, a lead that they protected until fifth inning.

Drexel’s bats came to life suddenly in the top of the frame, when Paula Ueno and freshman Kai Uyesaka’s RBI singles highlighted a 2 run, 2 out rally. However, as so often has been the case, their defense was not able to stifle their opponent’s response: Penn scored 2 more in their very next plate appearance, and didn’t look back for a 4-2 win.

A trio of games against CAA opponent James Madison University over the weekend capped off a crowded week of games for the team. The 8th ranked team in the nation, the Dukes lived up to their impressive 32-3 (9-0) records to say the least. When junior Savanna Johnson crossed the plate that afternoon to end Drexel’s fifth inning push against Penn, she also represented the end of the team’s scoring for the week: they fell 3-0, 8-0, 8-0 in the matchups. The three game series also included a bit of history for JMU’s sophomore Megan Good, who tossed a perfect game in her team’s dominating 5 inning win the afternoon of April 17.

So what’s next for the Dragons? Having lost 7 straight and still seeking their first league win, this week’s games are crucial to trying to salvage some positivity from the season. They will have their opportunities to climb back to .500, beginning with games vs. LaSalle University, Seton Hall University and Hofstra University this week.

The post Softball seven game losing streak broken against Seton Hall appeared first on The Triangle.