It was a fun and exciting day for the Drexel University field hockey team Oct. 21. Not only did Drexel host Colonial Athletic Association rival Hofstra University, but the Dragons also honored Idrienne Walker and Jessica McCarthy for
Senior Day.

Both players  have given everything to the Dragons over their four years, and it is bittersweet that they will be playing their final few games for Drexel.

Hofstra was a tough matchup, and Senior Day brings extra emotion surrounding the game, which is a double-edged sword. Hofstra entered the game at 9-6 and the Drexel entered in at 6-9. Even though Hofstra sported a better record overall, their conference record was the same as Drexel’s at 1-2.

The match started off with good pressure put on by the Drexel offense. Hofstra then came down the field and scored the first goal of the game at the 23:41 mark. Drexel came roaring back about a minute later to tie the game at 1 as senior Idrienne Walker let Hofstra know that she wasn’t quite finished yet. She scored her tenth goal of the season to tie the game. Hofstra didn’t take much time to rally  and scored a follow-up goal. They took just about two minutes to respond and turn the score to 2-1.

The Dragons took a bit longer to respond, but finally they broke through, as senior Jessica McCarthy tied the game up at 2 with her goal. The half ended with Drexel and Hofstra tied at 2, as McCarthy and Walker made sure Hofstra could not rain on their parade.

The second half started and the action quickly picked up. The Dragons scored their third goal of the game courtesy of junior Alison McCardell’s stick, her third of the season. Ten minutes later the Dragons were on the offensive again, and scored their fourth goal of the game. McCarthy stroked in her seventh goal of the season and gave the Dragons a bit more
of a cushion.

Ultimately it was McCarthy’s goal that was the game winner. Hofstra came back to score once more to make the game 4-3, but they could not manage to score again for the rest of the game. The Drexel defenders were not going to allow Hofstra the pleasure of ruining Senior Day for McCarthy and Walker.

Both seniors played great games. They played smart and tough, as they have throughout their careers at Drexel. The win put Drexel at a 7-9 record and a 2-2 CAA record.

The Dragons will face Towson University Oct. 28 and No. 9 University of Delaware Oct. 30 for the last two games
of the season.

The Drexel University field hockey team took to the turf this past weekend against The College of William & Oct. 14 and American University Oct. 16.

After losing two games, the Dragons were looking to get back on track. Both American University and William and Mary were difficult matchups, but the Dragons have shown throughout the season that they are capable of capturing big wins.

William & Mary, a Colonial Athletic Association rival for Drexel, was a particularly important opponent. Drexel entered play against William & Mary with a 1-1 conference record, and  a victory over the Tribe would be huge in terms of keeping their postseason hopes alive.

The game started off in favor of Drexel. Just 8:04 into the first half, freshman Tess Bernheimer scored her fifth goal of the season to put the Dragons up by one. Tough defense from both teams meant scoring was at a premium for the rest of the contest.

It took until there were just about seven minutes left in the first half for there to be another score. Unfortunately for the Dragons, it was the Tribe who scored the game-tying goal. Neither team could score in the time remaining in the first half.

The second half played out much like the first. The Dragons and the Tribe were both locked in on the defensive side of the ball.

William & Mary scored their second goal about 20 minutes into the second half while Drexel continued to struggle on offense. They managed three shots on goal, but the Tribe’s goaltender Morgan Connor was more than up to the task. The game ended with the score on William & Mary’s side, 2-1.

Following the loss to William & Mary, Drexel then had the tough task of playing No. 20 American University. American came into the matchup with a record of 9-4 with the Dragons standing at 6-8.

Immediately, American made their presence felt with a strike just 2:30 in the first half to go up 1-0.

Drexel turned up the heat on defense, but American was undaunted by the increased pressure. They scored again around 20 minutes in  to make the game 2-0.

Drexel struggled mightily to get set on offense and were unable to even get shots on goal. Three minutes later, American scored their third goal, putting the score to 3-0.

With such a tough first half, adjustments were certainly necessary for the second.

From the looks of the second half, those adjustments were particularly helpful. Sophomore Megan Wiest scored her ninth goal of the season, and the first for Drexel in the match. Defensively, the Dragons battled. They kept American off the board in the second half until 9:47 was left in the game. American scored their fourth and final goal of the match, making the score 4-1.

The Dragons continued to fight. Megan Wiest scored her second goal of the game to bring the score to within two. With 1:08 left, senior Idrienne Walker scored her ninth goal of the year to bring the game to within one. At that point, however, there simply was not enough time for the Dragons to complete the comeback.

The Dragons fell to 6-9 on the season, and 1-2 in conference play. Drexel plays another CAA rival, Hofstra University, onOct. 21. This will be a more emotional game than usual as the team will honor its seniors. Hopefully this emotion will translate well in the game for the Dragons, so that they can overcome the four-game losing streak they are on.

The Drexel University field hockey team had a tough task Oct. 9, to go up against a very good James Madison University team. James Madison is a conference opponent and they have been solid this season, coming into this game with a record of 8-3 and a conference record of 2-1.

It was a tough matchup for the young Drexel squad who came into the game with a record of 6-6, and just 1-0 in CAA play. It was also Alumni Day for the Dragons, which meant emotions were running high as players saw former teammates and new Dragons met old Dragons.

James Madison came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. They scored their first goal just five minutes into the first half. About ten minutes later they scored again to make the game 2-0.

The Dragons were having trouble breaking through JMU’s defense, allowing JMU to score unanswered points.

Momentum in any game is always important to have. Even when it is not in your favor, it can be easily switched to your side with positive plays. The Dragons unfortunately continued to struggle to gain any points on JMU.

James Madison scored again, at the 16 minute mark, just three minutes after their previous score. Without even having time to breath JMU scored again at the 14 minute mark to make the game 4-0. Drexel struggled in this first half. James Madison scored one last time to push the game to 5-0.

Coming out of the half, it would be important for the Dragons to make adjustments and play strong. Drexel certainly played much better, but unfortunately the ground they had to cover was too much. At the 30 minute mark, senior Idrienne Walker scored her seventh goal of the season, off of an assist from senior Jessica McCarthy. Walker scored again about three minutes later to bring the game to 5-2. Freshman Tess Bernheimer assisted on Walker’s eighth goal of the season.

That was the last goal either team scored for the remainder of the match. The Dragons played much better in the second half but unfortunately, they could not climb out of this hole. It was certainly a bittersweet day — bitter because of the loss, but sweet because alumni were present to keep spirits up.

The Dragons move to 6-7 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. This weekend, Drexel will face two tough opponents: College of William and Mary and American University. William and Mary will be an important matchup because it is a conference game. The Dragons will look to overcome the previous two losses they have incurred and get back on track in the win column.

The Drexel University field hockey team played two games this past week against Northeastern University and Northwestern University on Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 respectively.

The game against Northeastern was the first Colonial Athletic Association game of the year for the Dragons. This was a game the Dragons really needed, so that they could start their conference run on a strong note.

Northwestern was a tough matchup. The Wildcats were ranked sixth and came into the game with a solid 9-2 record. The Dragons certainly had their work cut out for them. Winning both games would be a big help for the team, but even winning one of these games would be a big help for their postseason aspirations.

Drexel and Northeastern played a tough game. Each team found it difficult to score. It wasn’t until there was about nine minutes left in the first half when Northeastern struck with the first goal of the game.

Drexel came back to tie the game with six minutes, 24 seconds left. Senior Jessica McCarthy was able to score her fifth goal of the season off of an assist by sophomore Megan Wiest.

The first half ended with a score of 1-1, which ended up being a pretty high scoring half. Drexel and Northeastern went into the second half with even more defensive energy than the first.

Neither team could find an opening to score.

The teams had their opportunities to score but both squads missed shots wide, and both goalies made impressive saves. The second half finished with Drexel and Northeastern both tied 1-1.

Overtime proved to be just as intense as the first two periods. Drexel and Northeastern continued to struggle to score. At the six minute mark the Dragons finally scored their first goal since the first half. Drexel continued to play outstanding defense, and won the game 2-1.

This was an important win for the Dragons since Northeastern is in their conference. The Dragons are now 1-0 in the CAA.

Northwestern proved to be a tougher task for the Dragons. The Wildcats were ranked No. 6 in the NCAA, and after a tough matchup against Northeastern, the Dragons had their work cut out for them. Unfortunately, Northwestern came out of the gates hot.

Within the first nine minutes of the half the Wildcats scored three unanswered goals to go up 3-0 with 26 minutes left. Northwestern finished off the half with another goal to go up 4-0.

The second half was similar. Northwestern did have two yellow cards called within four minutes of each other, but penalties did not matter. Northwestern scored again at the 28 minute mark in the second half to put the Wildcats up 5-0.

Northwestern scored two more times, increasing its lead to 7-0. Drexel scored twice, but it was not be enough to come back. McCarthy and senior Idrienne Walker both scored their sixth goals of the season.  

It was a frustrating game for the Dragons, but overall the weekend was not too bad to them. Their biggest game was their conference game against Northeastern which they won. This brought them to 1-0 in the CAA, which is vital for their postseason hopes.

Even against a tough matchup like Northwestern, the Dragons continued to play hard and never gave up. These tough matchups will only help the team grow. The Dragons will host conference foe James Madison Oct. 9 at Buckley Field for Alumni day. The team will have the opportunity to meet some great Dragons from the past and hopefully earn a hard fought conference win in front of them.

The Drexel University field hockey team has played two games since their tough loss against Pacific University Sept. 18.

The Dragons faced Monmouth University Sept. 23 and the University of Pennsylvania Sept. 27. Drexel played hard, fought games and split the two, keeping their record even at 5-5 for the year.

Freshman Tess Bernheimer played one of her best games of her young collegiate career against Monmouth. She recorded a total of three points, which was a career high. Her impressive game earned her Colonial Athletic Association rookie of the week.

The Dragons clicked on all cylinders against Monmouth. Just two minutes into the game, Alison McCardell scored the first goal of the day to put the Dragons on top 1-0.

Monmouth came roaring back a few minutes later to tie the game at one. The first half then proceeded to become a defensive battle. Neither team could break through each other’s defenses, both teams played clean field hockey stopping any advances. It was not until the clock hit all zeros when the Dragons were able to score a last second goal to put themselves up 2-1 before half time.

The Dragons clearly enhanced their offensive side at halftime because the second half saw much more scoring than the first. Freshman Idrienne Walker scored Drexel’s third goal of the day to put the Dragons up by two.

Monmouth responded about ten minutes later with a goal of their own, but this would be the last goal Drexel’s opponent scored in the game. Freshman Megan Wiest added a score, and Walker scored her second goal to make the end score 5-2.

The Dragons hoped to follow their performance against Monmouth up with another great game against Penn. Unfortunately, the rival proved to be a tougher task. Penn came into this game with a record of 5-2, and Drexel, after beating Monmouth, entered play with a 5-4 record.

This game was the definition of a defensive battle. Both teams struggled mightily to score, taking the entire first half for a goal to occur. Penn struck first with just 48 seconds left in the first half.

The second half started and again both teams struggled to find the back of the net. Penn scored its second goal of the game about eleven minutes into the second half. The Dragons followed suit with a goal of their own two minutes later.

Unfortunately for the Dragons, their offense never quite took off from that goal. They continued to struggle to gain momentum and score, so one goal was all they were able to get.

The game ended with a score of 2-1. The Dragons played a tough brand of field hockey, holding a very stronggood Penn team to just two scores, but they themselves could not seem to break the Penn defenses.

Regardless of the loss, the Dragons displayed toughness which is necessary to succeed in field hockey. As the team continues to grow they will certainly become more consistent with their offense, and their defense already seems to be playing well regularly.

The game against Monmouth proves this team can match their defense with great offense, it is just a matter of consistency. Drexel will face Northeastern University tonight, Sept. 30 at Buckley Field.

The Drexel University Field Hockey team has had an up and down season thus far. At 4-4 the team has played well, but surprisingly they’ve played better on the road then at home.

The Dragons were 4-1 leading into their match against the University of Pacific Tigers Sept. 18.

It’s impressive to be able to go to another team’s home turf and win, but it is also surprising the Dragons have a tougher time at home, going 0-2 in their first two games at Vidas Field.

The Dragons traveled all the way to California to face the Tigers. Even though it was a far distance to go for a road game, the Dragon’s away record suggested that they could compete at any distance away from Philadelphia. Both teams were riding a three game winning streak before the matchup.

The match started off in Drexel’s favor when, just over four minutes into the first half, the Dragons scored the game’s first goal. Megan Wiest recorded her seventh goal of the season, putting the Dragons on top 1-0. Half way through the first half the Tigers scored their first goal to draw even with Drexel.

Both teams were doing a good job limiting turnovers. The Dragons, however, gave the Tigers six penalty shots in the first half while the Tigers were able to limit the Dragons to one penalty shot. The Tigers also scored a second goal off of a penalty stroke and took a 2-1 into the second half.

The Dragons did a decent job making adjustments for the second half. They limited their penalties, committing just three compared to the Tigers four. Unfortunately, the Dragons were unable to capitalize.

About 12 minutes into the second half, the Tigers scored their third goal of the game. With the score now 3-1 in favor of the Tigers, the Dragons were in need of some offense. However, it would be the Tigers who provided the offense for the remainder of the  second half.

Pacific scored at the 19:47 mark and again two minutes later at the 17:40 mark. With the second half halfway over and a score of 5-1, the Dragons were running out of time to get their offense going.  

Drexel continued to struggle and was unable to break the defense of the Tigers. Pacific scored once more with 12:23 left in the game, which increased their lead to 5 and put the game out of reach for the Dragons.

Drexel did have four penalty corners in the last few minutes of the match, but they could not convert. The end score saw the Tigers on top of the Dragons, 6-1.

With this loss, Drexel fell to 4-4 on the season. Despite the loss, it’s not time for the Dragons to panic.The team was on a role before playing Pacific, and the Tigers just happened to be playing at a hotter clip at the moment.

Drexel is a young team, but they are playing at a high level. The team will only continue to grow, and with their record at 4-4 they can still launch themselves into the postseason with good play. The Dragons will face Monmouth University Sept. 23 at Buckley Field.  

Photo courtesy Drexeldragons.com

The Drexel University men’s lacrosse team took a tough loss April 9 against conference foe, Fairfield. April 16, however, the Dragons had the opportunity to rebound against another conference opponent, Hofstra. The Pride came into this matchup with a very formidable 7-4, whereas Drexel was sporting a 4-7 record. The Dragons entered the match knowing how difficult it would be, but also knew they needed to get back on track with their conference record after already having lost their first two conference games.

The first quarter went back and forth for the first few minutes. Both teams found openings to take shots, but could not convert. At the 10:53 mark Hofstra found their way onto the scoreboard after a Drexel penalty gave the Pride one extra player. Drexel continued attacking Hofstra, but simply could not break through their defense. Unfortunately, Hofstra turned around and scored again at the 5:28 mark. This time it was a Drexel turnover which gave The Pride the opportunity.

The first quarter ended with a 2-0 lead for Hofstra. A good start to the second quarter, however, would get Drexel back on track. Under a minute had passed when Michael Kay scored his second goal of the season getting the Dragons on the board and bringing the score within one. Hofstra quickly tarnished Drexel’s comeback by answering with a goal at the 10:16 minute mark. Hofstra again scored five minutes later, putting the Pride up by three. The Dragons only managed two more shots on goal in the remainder of the quarter, none of which found the back of the net.

Though disadvantaged, the Dragons had the chance to turn the tables through most of the game up until the third quarter. None of the shots attempted in the beginning of the third quarter connected. Hofstra seemed to make every shot they took. At the 8:21 mark The Pride scored their fifth goal of the game, going up by four goals. Hofstra turned around and scored again at the 7:13 mark bringing their total to six goals. Unfortunately for Drexel the onslaught would not stop there. Hofstra scored three more times, giving them a 9-1 lead by the end of the third quarter.

What seemed insurmountable was indeed insurmountable. Drexel made an attempt to comeback by scoring twice at the 11:20 and 10:54 mark. The Dragons eventually managed to find their rhythm offensively, but only for a small portion of the fourth quarter. Neither team scored until the 3:50 mark when Hofstra found the back of the net one last time, to take a commanding 10-3 lead. The Dragons put together one last scoring effort at the 2:05 mark, but by then a victory was too far out of reach.

The Dragons lost by a score of 10-4 taking them down to a 4-8 record and 0-3 in conference play. Hofstra elevated their record to 8-4, continuing an impressive season. April 23rd Drexel will face the University of Delaware, in Delaware. The Blue Hens have managed a 5-8 record so far, but are 2-1 in conference play. This is certainly a beatable team and the Dragons, provided they put their best foot forward, will certainly have a chance to take one from a conference opponent.

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Photo courtesy Drexeldragons.com CAA Swimmer of the Week Kyle Lukens hits the water.

The Drexel University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams took to the water against Georgetown University Jan. 21. There were notable performance from both teams, but only the men’s team was able to come away with a victory.

Even with the loss, the women’s team had multiple top finishes. In the 200-meter back Gillian Gress notched an impressive timing of 2:07.53, earning herself a first place finish. In the 100 breast, Rachel Bernhardt earned first place with a time of 1:05.05. Bernhardt also won the 200 breast, touching the wall at 2:23.34. Teammate Rebecca Churchill came in third for the event, earning a time of 2:30.36.

Charlotte Myers had herself a great meet, placing in both the 100 fly and the 200 fly. She earned second place with a 58.88 time in the 100, and came back in the 200 to win the event with a 2:10.41 time. Bernhardt then took on the 50 free, winning it with a solid time of 24.30.

Aubrey Murray also placed in both the 100 and 200 free alongside Myers. She earned a second place finish in the 100 free with a time of 53.70, and another second place finish in the 200 free, touching the wall at 1:56.56. In the 500 free Miranda Rouse and Niki Fistrovic took second and third place, respectively. Rouse earned a time of 5:14.54, and Fistrovic earned a 5:15.55 time.

Rouse also qualified for the individual medley and the 1000 free. She earned second place finishes in both events with a 10:44.26 time in the 1000 free and a 2:11.02 in the individual medley.

Gress, Bernhardt, Murray and Emily Lau were all a part of the 200 medley relay. This squad was able to come in second with a time of 1:49.24. In the one meter dive Jaclyn Goulet came in third with a score of 191.47. Goulet also came in second in the three meter dive with a score of 208.57. Right behind her in the three meter dive was Rory McPhilips who took third position with a score of 195.00.

On the men’s side of things, Joel Berryman and J.T. Lumpkin started the meet off with a bang,coming in first and second place respectively in the 100 back. Berryman came in at a time of 50.62, while his teammate Lumpkin came in at 53.26.

In the 200 back, Lumpkin made the jump to first place. He won with a time of 1:58.38, and his teammates Alberto Lagrutta Saenz and Liam McLaughlin took second and third place respectively. Saenz touched the wall at 1:59.31and McLaughlin at 1:59.54.

In the 100 breast, Ralph Cannarozzi III took first place coming in at a time of 59.63. He also came in second in the 200 breast with a time of 2:12.50. Harrison Schultz took third in the 100 breast with a time of 1:00.88.

Kyle Lukens and Saenz came in first and second place respectively in both the 100 and 200 fly. Lukens recorded a time of 50.34 in the 100 and 1:52.96 in the 200. Saenz touched the wall at 53.49 in the 100 and 1:58.80 in the 200. In the 50 free, Patrick Cobb took third place with a time of 22.70.

In the 100 free, Berryman continued his day by coming in first with a time of 46.90. Sean Swartz came in right behind him with a time of 48.31 to claim second place. In the 200 free, Drexel again took first and second. Matthew Klotz claimed first place with a time of 1:44.02, and Luke Hanner took a close second with the time of 1:44.38.

Drexel swept the 500 free. Dane Bell, Patrick Cobb, and Ivo Pejovic took first, second and third respectively. In the 1000 free Dane Bell again took first place, and teammate Zoltan Gercsak captured third place.

Brian Woo placed second in the independent medley with a time of 1:59.88. In the 400 relay, the team (comprising Berryman, Klotz, Swartz and Lukens) captured first place, and the team with Cobb, Hanner, Bell and Cameron Hoyer took second.

In the 200 medley relay, Berryman, Cannarozzi III, Lukens and Cobb took first place and Lumpkin, Woo, Hanner and Swartz came in behind them with a third-place finish.

David Sanchez won both the one meter dive and the three meter dive with respective scores of 298.20 and 304.20. Due to his impressive day, Lukens was named the CAA men’s swimmer of the week. This was the first time this year that he was awarded the honor.

The men’s and women’s team will be hitting the water again Jan. 30. The match will be held in the Daskalakis Athletic Center against Lehigh University. This match will be Senior Day for the Dragons.

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Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco is one of a bevy of young players the organization is expecting to help reverse its fortunes in the coming years. (Photo courtesy – Keith Allison)

What in the world is happening? In one of the strangest turns of the summer, the Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last three weeks.

Of the 16 games played since the All-Star break, the Phillies have managed to win 13. Not only are they winning, but front office management is making good decisions as well. In the past week, the Phillies have had great fortunes come their way.

The front office was able to pull in a number of quality prospects from the Texas Rangers in exchange for longtime Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels, who made himself irresistible by throwing a no-hitter in his final act in a Phillies uniform.

On top of that performance by the Phillies great and the wonderful haul of young talent, the Phillies were able to unload disgruntled closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Hamels’ no-hitter on July 25 could not have been a better way for him to leave the city of Philadelphia. His commitment to winning and excellence was on display as it has been since he entered the league in 2006.

Looking back over Hamels’ career brings back moments of better times. No fans will ever forget his performance in the 2008 playoffs, when he dominated the postseason and started Game 5 of the World Series before winning the series’ Most Valuable Player trophy.

Hamels ends his Philadelphia career with a 114-90 record, a 3.75 ERA, 1,850 strike outs and one very memorable World Series ring.

In the trade, the Texas Rangers traded three of their top prospects to acquire Hamels. The Phillies also included pitcher Jake Diekman and cash, while Texas sent right-handed pitcher Jake Thompson, outfielder Nick Williams and catcher Jorge Alfaro.

The haul adds to the Phillies’ haul of youth, giving the organization incredible depth in their minor league system, which is a sound building block for future success.

It is important to remember the prospects that have produced in the Phillies’ system thus far.

J.P. Crawford is currently rated sixth among his minor league contemporaries. The young shortstop is talented and will certainly be a star when he is promoted to the big leagues.

Cornelius Randolph, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2015, is ranked No. 99 among the league’s prospects, and is only going to get better as he works his way up the farm system.

Pitcher Aaron Nola, who was brought up to the major leagues in July, is currently looking like he can take over Hamels’ spot as the Phillies ace. The rookie has complied a 2-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in three starts. He has shown great command, tossing just three walks in three games.

Third baseman Mikel Franco has also been great for the Phillies this season and continues to stand out. He currently is sporting a .282 batting average with 12 home runs and 45 runs batted in. His grand slam August 4 was the first by a Phillies rookie in a decade.

For all the heat general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has taken from the fanbase in the past few years, his work during the trade deadline was fantastic and deserves recognition. He waited patiently, and found a way to turn an asset into value for the future.

Cole Hamels will certainly be missed in Philadelphia. He contributed plenty, and he will certainly go down as one of the best pitchers in Phillies history. The Phillies are on their way to a much brighter future, and Phillies fans should be excited.

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Aaron Nola winds up during his Major League Baseball debut July 21. Nola pitched six innings and allowed just one earned run in his first outing for the Phillies. (Photo courtesy – Philadelphia Phillies)

For the first time in about three years, Philadelphia Phillies fans had a reason to be excited about their ball club.

July 21, the Phillies’ 2014 first-round draft pick, Aaron Nola, made his MLB debut against the Tampa Bay Rays. Nola pitched an exceptional game, especially under the pressure of getting his first career start in the big leagues and a glaring lack of run support.

In a lost season such as this one, fans might have hoped the Phillies would put extra effort into their offense so to give their rookie pitcher one fewer thing to worry about. Instead, it was more of the same. Nola received the Cole Hamels treatment.

In a way, it was almost darkly humorous to watch Nola pitch well as the offense struggled to even get a hit. Yet Nola still performed well; it was like watching the future attempting to push the present out of the way.

In nine innings, the Phillies could only muster up four hits. One of those hits was even recorded by Nola himself.

Not only did he have a great first start on the mound, but he is sporting a better batting average than most of the Phillies hitters.

On a more serious note, Nola pitched six innings, scattering five hits and striking out six batters while walking just one. He gave up one home run to the Rays’ pitcher, but otherwise looked locked in.

He showed he could pitch in jams, only allowing that one run to come across and stifling any attempt the Rays made to build a larger lead. At the end of the day, Nola was sporting a stellar 1.50 earned run average, but also an unfortunate 0-1 record.

Nola’s impressive start was able to do something for Phillies fans, however, which has not hap-pened in most likely three years.

The Phillies became interesting again.

People wanted to come to the game, and for more reason than to just get out of their houses. There was an energy in Citizens Bank Park which has been lacking for a few years now.

Fans are excited as they are beginning to see the future push the present out of the way. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, two of the Phillies’ oldest stars, are no longer playing their worn trades every day. Instead we are seeing young players, like Cesar Hernandez play second base and Darin Ruf take to first base.

These aren’t the most exciting players to watch play, but the point here is that the past and the present are becoming memories and the future is arriving. Nola’s performance offers fans hope, and even restores their passion again for Phillies baseball.

The Phillies have a long road ahead of them to rebuild and put a championship caliber team to-gether, but the road has finally started to be paved. There is no doubt that this season, and proba-bly the next three to five seasons, will be difficult to enjoy, but what matters is that the process has begun.

As of right now, fans can get excited every four or five games to watch Nola take the mound. Considering the state of the franchise at the beginning of the season, any excitement is good ex-citement.

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