Sports in a Minute for the Week of Oct 13-19

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

In this past weekend’s Penn State National, the men’s cross country team placed 13th out of 28 competing schools. No. 8 in the nation Georgetown University won the cross country meet. Representing Mason runners, sophomore Scott Tekesky finished in 54th place with a time of 26:22 and junior James Snyder and freshman Everett Hackett finished back-to-back with the 58th and 59th slots, respectively, with times of 26:25 and 26:26. Junior James Burns ranked 73rd in the meet, coming in ten seconds after Hackett. Senior Ryan Murphy and juniors Chris Palmer and Anthony LaMastro also ran for Mason in the 5.2-mile race. The team’s next meet will be on Nov. 1 at the CAA Championships at Bull Run Park.

GOLF

Junior Branson Real led the team in the first two rounds on the first day at the Duke Coca-Cola Individual Collegiate with a 13-over-par two round score. The first day was tough for all 63 players with only one of them posting an under-par score. Freshman Josh Apple and sophomore Silas VanSky tied for 46th place on the first day with 81-76 scores. On the final day, Apple played his best round with a 74, which boosted him to a 38th place finish and led the team with all scores combined. Real dropped to a 40th place tie after shooting a 78. Real had been consistent throughout the event with scores of 78 twice and 77. Freshman Adam Van Houten, tied for 44th place, shaved off five strokes in the final round, but VanSky fell to fourth place on the team after adding six strokes. The team travels this week for its appearance in the Sycuan Collegiate Invitational in El Cajon, Calif.

MEN’S SOCCER

After a 5-2-1 start, the men’s soccer team has fallen down to Earth after losing three of their last four contests. Their latest was a 2-1 loss to the Delaware Blue Hens (2-8-3, 1-2-1) on the road. The Patriots rallied to cut the deficit in half with a 72nd minute goal from senior forward Lucas Pardew, but the Blue Hens held on to win the game, leaving the Patriots to fall to 6-5-1. Delaware defender Andy Streilein got his team to a quick lead, nothing an unassisted goal in the 4th minute. Streilein scored off a rebound after Mason goalkeeper Sean Kelley temporarily stopped forward Andrew Englehart’s shot. Delaware midfielder Paul Danaher assisted on Courtney Hewitt’s first goal on a breakaway at the 61:35 mark for a 2-0 lead. After 10 minutes of play, Mason responded with Pardew’s third goal of the season. Despite holding advantages in shots and corner kicks, Mason was unable to force overtime. Mason had a final chance in the last minute, but they were unable to put the ball into the net as time expired.

Next opponent/home game: vs. Hofstra (10/22)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Last week, the women’s soccer team recorded their 10th loss of the 2008 season after a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks at home. Mason rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game at the 71:16 mark on midfielder Jessica Paris’ goal. Defender Colleen Killiany recorded her second assist of the game. UNC-Wilmington midfielder Maddy Bullington broke the tie with an 84th minute goal on a poor goal kick from Mason goalkeeper Melissa Mailley. The Patriots outshot the Seahawks 17-4 in the second half, but the ample opportunity to take the lead was shut down. This past Friday, Mason travelled to Drexel to force a 1-1 tie as the two goals came in the last five minutes. Mason forward Kelly Keelan saved the team in the 88th minute after Drexel’s Jourdan Halasz’s score seemed to have extended Mason’s losing streak to six games. In the end, Mailley’s play in goal was exceptional as her eight saves on nine shots was a season best.

Next opponent/home game: vs. William & Mary (10/24)